For years since the release of the last EA Sports NCAA Football title in 2012, fans have been clamoring for the sports game giant to return to the collegiate gridiron. Following a recent Supreme Court decision that allows NCAA players to be compensated for their likenesses, fan hopes have been stoked once again and EA has made it known it is interested in a return as well.

The NCAA Football franchise has been a fan favorite for years with the titles remaining popular among football fans almost a decade after the last collegiate title in NCAA Football 14. NCAA Football frequently tops fan polls of sports series they would like to see return and second-hand copies of the series' older titles continue to fetch a high price due to their rarity. Now, with the NCAA moving towards a model that would allow players to profit from their image, EA is reportedly working on streamlining its upcoming college football title.

RELATED: EA Sports College Football on PS5 and Xbox Series X is a Very Big Deal

EA's Chief Operating Officer Blake Jorgenson recently spoke on how the company is working to easily add real-world likenesses of NCAA players into the company's new title. Jorgenson spoke of how the game is being built with a "database structure" that would allow them to quickly and seamlessly add the likenesses of real players into the game. Not much is known about the infrastructure EA has developed for its upcoming NCAA Football title, but Jorgenson spoke highly of the optimization offered by the new systems.

Fans of the NCAA Football franchise, however, will still be waiting for some time for EA's return to collegiate football. No official announcement has been made on the game's official release from EA Sports but a recent leak placed the release date of the upcoming NCAA Football title in 2023. EA made the announcement that the company would return to the NCAA franchise back in February and the company has not made any details of the upcoming title as of yet.

While fans will likely have to wait longer for the long-awaited return of college football, this has not stopped tidbits of information about the upcoming title from getting out. The negotiation of rights in the collegiate landscape differs vastly from that of the professional sports leagues with differing rights holders and groups between different universities. Some major colleges like Notre Dame opted out from appearing in the absence of players being compensated for their likenesses which was the subject of the previously mentioned Supreme Court decision. In spite of this, EA Sports has made its dedication to NCAA Football's return apparent and fans will soon have the opportunity to hit the collegiate turf once again.

EA Sports College Football is currently in development with no confirmed release date.

MORE: The Best (Loudest) Stadiums for NCAA Football 2020

Source: IGN