EA’s College Football Game Returns This Summer

EA Sports has announced the return of its college football franchise this summer, over a decade after it was discontinued due to legal issues surrounding the payment of college athletes for their names and likenesses. The new game, titled “EA Sports College Football 25,” will be released with a trailer confirming its launch date for “this summer” and a full reveal scheduled for May.

The game will be developed using the engine that powers the Madden franchise, but with unique assets, playbooks, mascots, and traditions specific to each university, as reported by 247Sports. It is expected to include features from previous EA Sports college football titles, such as the “Dynasty” and “Road To Glory” modes, allowing players to control customized coaches and players respectively. An “Ultimate Team” mode, enabling users to create teams of former athletes, is also expected to be included.

EA and the College Licensing Company reached out to 118 of the 134 schools with a Division I football program to include their branding in the game, but not every school agreed. Reports suggest that EA offered athletes upfront payments totaling $5 million, averaging $500 per athlete, though some athletes are holding out for larger compensation, possibly upwards of $800.

The release date for the game has not been confirmed, but previous EA Sports “NCAA Football” titles were typically released between late July and early August. Speculation suggests that the new game will likely be released in July, according to The Athletic.

The last installment of EA’s college football game, “NCAA Football ’14,” sold 1.5 million copies in the five years following its release in 2013, according to ESPN.

Electronic Arts acquired the rights to publish video games under the “NCAA” name in 1997 and released its first installment of the franchise that year. However, the series was discontinued in 2013 following a lawsuit against the NCAA and CLC by former college athletes. The lawsuit alleged that EA used the likeness of athletes without their permission. EA settled the lawsuit and paid former athletes who were not compensated for appearing in “NCAA Football ’14.” The NCAA announced it would not renew its licensing agreement with EA. Instead, EA has offered agreements to individual college athletes for the use of their name, image, and likeness, with reports suggesting upfront payments totaling $5 million, averaging $500 per athlete.

In summary, EA’s college football video game franchise is set to make a highly anticipated return this summer, featuring unique assets and gameplay while navigating the complexities of compensation for college athletes.