El rebelde Danny Zuko y la inocente australiana Sandy mantienen un romance durante las vacaciones, creyendo que no se volverán a ver; sin embargo, para sorpresa de ambos, se reencuentran en la escuela secundaria al empezar el nuevo año escolar.

Un adolescente vive una crisis por el futuro de su vida y quiere dejar una pequeña ciudad en el interior de los Estados Unidos. Él se destaca en el equipo de fútbol americano y sueña que el deporte lo lleve a la universidad.

A very young Joan Bennett tops the cast as Nan Sheffield, the daughter of a college president. The nominal leading man is Tommy Nelson, the black-sheep son of a wealthy alumnus. Though Nelson is an ace football player, President Sheffield refuses to enroll the boy because of his bad reputation, whereupon Tommy's father withdraws his financial backing and bars his son from ever setting foot on Sheffield's campus. Falling in love with Nan, Tommy signs up with the college under an assumed name, giving up his wastrel ways to lead the football team to victory. Joe E. Brown steals the show as Speed Hanson, a goofy gridiron star who emits a loud and long yell whenever scoring a touchdown (this was, in fact, the first film in which Brown's famous "Yeeeeowww" was heard -- but certainly not the last).