There hasn’t been a college football game for years, the last being the NCAA Football 14. EA Sports announced in 2021 that the game series would return after 11 years, with EA Sports College Football 25 being the first installment to be released in Summer 2024. Moreover, this upcoming game might feature the real faces of the players from all the 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.
In sports simulation games like EA FC, Madden NFL, and F1, one of the things fans look forward to are the players who feature in the game. After all, they love playing the game as their beloved athletes. This experience only gets better when their beloved player’s likeness is in the game. However, it isn’t a simple task to get the likeness of every player due to issues like licensing.
The upcoming College Football 25 would be unlike any other sports game, as every featuring player might have their real face. However, readers should note that due to the sheer number of players, none of them will get their faces scanned. Instead, EA Sports will get all the images from team rosters and make life-like avatars in-game. The studio has also announced that the Football Bowl Subdivision players will be compensated for being part of the game. It is undoubtedly a major move, given the licensing issue was the main reason for Electronic Arts to discontinue the series in 2013.
How is EA handling the licensing for each player in the game?
NCCA approved the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rule in 2021, which opened the door for EA Sports College Football’s return. The American giants are working with OneTeam Partners for the group licensing of the game, and players would be able to join via Learfield’s COMPASS NIL app. EA Sports revealed to The Athletic that players would receive $600 and a copy of the game if they join in.
The initial roaster in the game would at least feature 85 players from each school. Over 11,000 players are speculated to feature in the game, making it the largest NIL group partnership ever. Because of the sheer number of players, it would be impossible for EA Sports to scan everyone as they do for other games. Instead, they would use the information and images from the team roster to recreate the player’s likeness in the game.
The players will receive their payment once they join in, and they are advised to do so by April 30 because the game will be released in the summer. The Army, Navy, and Air Force players might feature in the game but are prohibited from participating in NIL deals. Moreover, the players who have joined the game can opt out in the future when they want. EA Sports College Football 25 will be a new experience, even different than the Madden NFL.
