After years without a release, EA recently announced that its College Football franchise would be making a return. While the NFL might be the pinnacle of American football, the traditions, rivalries, and atmosphere of the college game make it an experience like no other, and one that has drawn in millions of fans. When EA made the announcement that College Football would return, it immediately made waves on social media. People are excited, but it seems that not everyone's favorite team will be featured in the upcoming game.
One of the main reasons that there hasn't been an NCAA Football or College Football title from EA is due to the difficult licensing of the various university and college teams. This new game from EA has a different title, which is leading to some speculation about what it could say about the NCAA's involvement. With EA having to negotiate with different rights holding groups, it makes it a challenge to have every team in the game.
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Notre Dame is one of the most iconic schools in America, known for the perennially competitive football program. In a statement released on Twitter, the school has announced that it will not be participating in the upcoming College Football title until rules are in place that would allow student-athletes to benefit directly from their likeness being used in the game. This issue has been the largest issue on the player-side of things with regard to college athletics in recent years. Students cannot benefit or receive compensation in any form while on a college sports team, and the consequences for breaking this rule can be harsh. The issue was brought to light by former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon, who saw his likeness used in NCAA Basketball '09 without his permission.
Unlike in EA's long-running NFL franchise, Madden, EA only has to deal with the NFL and the NFL Players Association, and any athlete who appears in the game will be compensated for that appearance. So while the cover star of Madden NFL 22 gets a nice paycheck, NCAA Football 14 cover star Denard Robinson did not receive a penny. Notre Dame's decision could have a ripple effect on the licensing negotiations for EA College Football, as the rules regarding player compensation are still being ironed out, without any solid guidelines on how to proceed, it may cause other schools to pause a moment before committing.
With the long-awaited return of a college football video game on the horizon, fans hope the game can avoid some of the pitfalls of other EA franchises. Whether or not all schools will be available for fans remains to be seen.
EA College Football is currently in development.