EA Sports Bringing Back NCAA Football Video Games?

[Drew]

 

[Drew]

EA Sports back in school with college football

EA Sports is making plans to bring back a college football game.

www.espn.com

EA Sports is coming back to college football.

After last making a college football video game in 2013, the possibility of the game returning had been in limbo. Now, it isn't. EA Sports vice president and general manager, Daryl Holt, told ESPN the game maker will be returning to the space with "EA Sports College Football."

"As we look for the momentum that we're building on in sports, it all starts with the passion of our fans and the opportunities of what they are interested in," Holt said. "I don't think a visit where I go outside wearing a piece of EA Sports branded apparel, that someone doesn't go, 'Hey, when is college football coming back?'"

It will -- at some point. Holt said there is not a date on when the game will return or even a date where the return will be announced other than it won't be coming back for this year.

To make the game happen, EA Sports partnered with collegiate licensing company CLC to make sure they had the FBS schools, traditions, uniforms and playbooks -- among other things -- ready to go for the game. Over 100 teams will be in the game.

For now, EA Sports is planning to move forward without rosters that include the names, images or likenesses of real college players. Current NCAA rules prohibit athletes from selling their NIL rights while in college.

 

[Drew]

I’m wondering if not everyone will be in the game?

 

[huskymedic]

I’m wondering if not everyone will be in the game?

CLC is Learfield IMG.

 

[Drew]

CLC is Learfield IMG.

Right but the language "over 100 teams" is kinda odd when there are definitively 130 FBS teams. So is it essentially just the FBS teams with a Learfield rights deal? If its every FBS team wouldn't they just say that?

 

[Drew]

Everything you need to know about the return of EA Sports' college football video game

College football is (eventually) coming back to gaming consoles. Here's what we know and what we don't.

www.espn.com

EA Sports is rebooting its college football series for Next Generation consoles, announcing Tuesday that it will end the hiatus the game has taken since then-Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson appeared on the cover of NCAA Football 14.

There's still a lot to sort out about what the game will look like, what its structure will be and even when it will be available. But college football is (eventually) coming back to gaming consoles.

Here's what we know and what we don't.

 

[huskymedic]

Right but the language "over 100 teams" is kinda odd when there are definitively 130 FBS teams. So is it essentially just the FBS teams with a Learfield rights deal? If its every FBS team wouldn't they just say that?

I guess that was my point - I don’t believe all 130 FBS schools are represented by Learfield IMG/CLC (I could be wrong). UConn is though.

 

[Drew]

 

[Husky25]

I think real college football should revert to NCAA '14. Expand the CFP to 8 or 10 teams? Sure, but, go back to the BCS methodology of selecting teams. Human committees with so much influence are too subjective and remove all the drama from college football.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Drew]

 

[huskymedic]

Here’s Matt’s full story for anyone interested (free): FCS teams won't be in the next EA Sports game, at least, not for now.

 

[Drew]

Here’s Matt’s full story for anyone interested (free): FCS teams won't be in the next EA Sports game, at least, not for now.

FYI I reached out to Matt after this came out yesterday and he told me while he had e-mailed UConn to confirm our participation in the game we haven't confirmed or denied it yet.

 

[Husky25]

FYI I reached out to Matt after this came out yesterday and he told me while he had e-mailed UConn to confirm our participation in the game we haven't confirmed or denied it yet.

In the early NCAA football games from the mid-aughts, you could make your own team. I'd be satisfied with that.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Husky25]

Anyone remember the presumably unlicensed baseball game from the 90's (on Sega, IIRC) with Wade Froggs playing 3B for the Boston team? This is how I envision EA getting around this. Dotre Name Battling Northern Englishmen.

I also remember the, getting around the likeness issue in the PlayStation iterations of the basketball game by changing certain numbers and skin tone. For instance. In NCAA Basketball '98, I recall UConn #34 being quite a bit lighter than the real life counterpart.

 

[Buffett10]

What EA is gonna do is make everyone look the same and let the modders re-do the rosters like they had been doing for yrs. this way EA doesn’t have to pay any players

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Exit 4]

I will email EA sports to release my likeness as "Rentschler Field fan in the stands." I am ready to be "exploited" for this important cause and live in permanent digital infamy.

 

[crazyUCfan23]

Out of curiosity, how are players compensated for professional video games, like madden?

 

[Exit 4]

Out of curiosity, how are players compensated for professional video games, like madden?

NCAA players are not compensated at all and that issue is at the center of why no college based games have been produced in recent years.

At the pro level I am unsure of the answer, I believe the money gets split under some formula between the league (ie owners) and the respective players union.

 

[freescooter]

I will email EA sports to release my likeness as "Rentschler Field fan in the stands." I am ready to be "exploited" for this important cause and live in permanent digital infamy.

Just don‘t get digitally drunk and yell digital obscenities at the digital refs. It would be kind of embarrassing to be digitally ejected...

 

[Storrs South]

 

[JMick]

seems about the right timeline.