By: JOSEPH SIMILE / CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
College football fans and gamers alike, rejoice! EA’s beloved college football franchise is finally returning after an 11 year hiatus. EA Sports is releasing EA Sports College Football 25 during the summer of 2024. While no official release date has been offered other than summer of this year, there’s speculation that it will release in July.
This new series does not bear the name of its predecessor, NCAA Football. The NCAA was accused of not compensating players for appearing in the previous iterations of the game, which led to a massive lawsuit which ended the NCAA Football franchise after its 2013 release.
One of the biggest features announced for the new College Football game is players’ name, image, and likeness. EA is offering players $600 and a copy of the game on the console of their choice for their inclusion in the title. As of earlier this month, over 10,000 college athletes have signed on to appear in the game. Senior Vice President and group general manager for EA Sports’ Tiburon Studios said in a statement to ESPN that
“The response to the athlete opt-in opportunity for EA Sports College Football 25 has been phenomenal… In the little over one week, over 10,000 athletes across the FBS have opted-in to the offer with more saying ‘yes’ every hour. We’re excited to welcome more athletes in the weeks ahead and to debut this first class of athletes in the game when it launches this summer.”
Non-scholarship athletes can also opt in via an app on their phones. Athletes can set up a profile and review the offer before deciding whether or not to opt-in. They must be on the current roster with a valid school email address, and EA Sports is working with the schools to verify names. Freshman are also eligible to opt in once they enroll in college, with EA Sports encouraging interested players to opt in by April, so their name, image and likeness can be included upon launch. Some of college football’s most recognizable players have opted in, including Colorado two-way sensation Travis Hunter, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, Alabama quarterback Jalen Monroe, and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
One notable holdout is Texas quarterback Arch Manning, son of Cooper Manning, and nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning. Manning has only appeared in two college games, completing two of his five pass attempts for 30 yards, while also rushing for seven yards on three attempts. Manning was quoted as wanting to “focus on playing football on the field”. EA has stated it wants to have 85-man rosters for every school in the game, putting that 10,000 number at 87% of their goal.
All 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams are confirmed for being in the game. Even newer additions, such as James Madison and Jacksonville State will be featured. One key difference between the old series and the new will be the lack of NCFAA awards. EA was unable to reach an agreement with the NCFAA, meaning awards such as the Ray Guy will not be in the game. The one exception is the Heisman, which is expected to be in the game, as it’s operated by the Heisman Trust, opposed to the NCFAA. EA is expected to create fictional awards to replace the real ones.
ESPN’s lead college football commentary team of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will be featured in the game, as will studio host Kevin Connors, host and analyst Jesse Palmer, and analyst David Pollack. Herbstreit was a commentator in the original NCAA Football series.
EA originally announced the return of their college football games in February of 2021, later confirming on February 15 of 2024, revealing a trailer for the game.