Lee Sheridan, a track athlete of a small town college, had enjoyed much adoration from the townspeople and his father. Seeing that the kind-hearted Lee had begun to develop an arrogant streak, his professor got him a scholarship to study at the Cardinal College of Oxford, hoping to introduce him to the world outside of Lakedale and local track records.
Lee took no time in making himself unpopular and managed to offend three Oxford students before even arriving at Oxford. Paul Beaumont, Wavertree and Ramsey decided to play an elaborate prank on him, which resulted in Lee's kicking the Dean's bums. Lee was furious and about to pack up and leave, but his good-natured scout Scatters talked him into staying.
The rivalry between Lee and Paul escalated after Lee joined the track team and stole Paul's thunder, eventually led to Lee's unsportsmanlike conduct in a competition against Cambridge. The students of Cardinal College, led by Paul, ganged up on him and publicly humiliated him.
Lee found Paul in a pub, where he was having one of his secret rendezvous with Elsa, the wife of local bookstore owner. The two got into a fight and scattered when a buller (campus police) arrived to stop them. Lee punched the buller to get away, but Wavertree thought Paul did it and the story leaked out. Paul was given severe warning, lost the stature he had enjoyed due to his affair with Elsa. Lee, on the other hand, became the new boy popular.
Lee became the star rower of the boat club, Paul's friend became his friends, and he started dating Pauls sister Molly; life was good. But he also began to feel uncomfortable about the animosity between him and Paul. He tried to cover for Paul by hiding Elsa in his room when she went to meet Paul in his dorm room. But Mr. Craddock was following her and alerted the Dean, Lee got expelled.
Unlike the Dean, students found getting kicked out over a lady quite an accomplishment and a small parade was organised to sent Lee off. Not knowing his son was on his way home, Lee's father Dan came to Oxford to see him in the final boat race against Cambridge. Dan was not satisfied with Lee's explanation and could sense that he was protecting someone; so he went to see Molly. After Molly told him about Elsa, he talked Elsa into helping Lee.
Elsa told the Dean that she was really having an affair with Wavertree, who's always trying to get expelled over women to preserve a family tradition started by a rich uncle. But atlas, even the Dean was taken with Elsa and let Wavertree off with minor punishment.
Paul reconciled with Lee, and with his father and Molly cheering by the shore, Lee led the boat team and beat Cambridge in the race.
