Feb two, 2021

  • Michael Rothstein

    Shut

    Michael Rothstein

    ESPN Staff Author

    • Previously covered University of Michigan for ESPN.com and AnnArbor.com
    • Also covered Notre Dame for Fort Wayne Periodical Gazette

  • Dan Murphy

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    Dan Potato

    ESPN Staff Writer

    • Covers the Large X
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2014
    • Graduate of the Academy of Notre Dame

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

There'due south however a lot to sort out about what the game will await like, what its structure will be and even when it will exist bachelor. Merely college football game is (eventually) coming back to gaming consoles.

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

Why is EA Sports bringing the video game back now?

Since the last edition of the game in the 2013 season, there has been word within EA Sports about relaunching it. At the time of its discontinuation, it was a very popular championship, and its return remained high on the priority listing at the company.

EA Sports really dropped a few Easter eggs pointing to the possibility. In the past two editions of Madden, some college football game programs were included as office of the "Face up of the Franchise" story style of the game. EA Sports vice president and full general director Daryl Holt told ESPN that while it wasn't a witting decision to do that as a test run for the render of a college football game, there was positive feedback and returns, particularly in those college markets.

"That was another simply check mark to go -- we know [fans] are itching for it and we know we tin can develop and deliver a neat college football game feel," Holt said. "So why are we waiting?

"So the question may exist non so much 'why now' versus 'why not now?'"

EA Sports recently started putting together a strategy and development squad, which led to Tuesday's announcement.

When can I play the game?

To be adamant.

At this point, no one from EA Sports would commit to when the game could return or fifty-fifty a date to announce a launch date. For now, consider this news to exist a commitment for the game to render at some point.

One thing is certain, though: Holt said it won't happen this year.

What will be in the game?

That's still unclear. It's very early in the process.

EA Sports is working with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) -- the licensing partner for many schools -- on securing the use of the stadiums, uniforms, mascots, traditions and names for over 100 teams in the FBS. Holt said the game itself will be "a deep, immersive feel that has true wide-open game play for higher football." What that looks like is still to be determined and might depend on the continued engineering science on Adjacent Gen gaming systems PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series 10.

It could have an eventual tie-in to Madden -- in prior iterations, for example, you could import typhoon classes from NCAA Football into Madden. Holt said EA Sports is looking at things in terms of what is office of a football game career, but the company is still in experimentation style.

Holt said EA Sports is starting with the game play, making sure that is strong, and so going from in that location.

"Whether that's a reimagining or an evolution of things that were in the game before or new things and new ways to play, I don't desire to get into the details of what nosotros're already planning and what we'll put in that," Holt said. "But it will be something that our core fans, if they appreciated and loved NCAA 14, they volition love this game considering that'due south just the starting point."

Does the NCAA demand to change its rules earlier the game tin can return?

No. Current NCAA rules prohibit EA Sports from paying players to utilize their names, images and likenesses in the game. If those rules are still in effect when the game is released, EA Sports plans to include real details such as team names, mascots and uniforms simply non anything that would resemble the real players on those rosters.

EA Sports appear it would stop making its college football game in 2013 soon before the company agreed to pay part of a reported $40 1000000 to former college players to settle a lawsuit filed by old UCLA basketball game player Ed O'Bannon. The lawsuit argued that it was illegal for EA Sports to sell a game with characters that looked strikingly like to real athletes without paying those athletes.

While O'Bannon was sometimes mistakenly blamed for the game'due south demise, the company said at the time that information technology stopped production because the NCAA and some conferences were no longer interested in licensing their logos and names to the game makers, which prevented them from creating an authentic experience. Those schools are once more willing to partner upwards with EA Sports. Holt didn't comment on why those partnerships accept been revived, but he insisted there is nothing that currently prevents EA Sports from producing the game.

How will the current debate effectually proper noun, image and likeness (NIL) rules bear upon the game?

While real players don't take to exist included in the new version of the game, they could be included if future legislation makes it possible for college athletes to negotiate as a group. The NCAA -- prompted past pressure level from state and federal lawmakers -- is in the process of changing its rules to provide athletes some opportunities to profit from endorsements in the future. It'southward non notwithstanding clear if those new opportunities volition include the ability to organize for group licensing deals.

For pro sports video games, the game maker typically negotiates with the league's union on a price for the NIL rights of all players. The union then makes sure each histrion gets a slice of the total payment. The NCAA says players shouldn't exist allowed to form a union considering they are students, non employees. While a traditional union isn't essential to setting up the organization needed for commonage bargaining, NCAA leaders have then far tried to steer clear of any kind of arrangement that would create a mechanism for athletes to negotiate equally a group.

But the NCAA might non get to set the terms of futurity Aught rules. Congress is expected to address higher sports reform and compensation in some mode in the relatively near future -- most probable before EA Sports would be ready to roll out its new game. At least 2 of the proposals that will be considered by the Senate aim to guarantee the right to collective bargaining for future higher athletes. If either of those options is signed into law, the door would be open up for EA Sports to negotiate with players to create more realistic rosters.

"We'll only proceed tabs on everything as information technology develops, and we'll be ready," Holt said.

What will the game exist called?

The name is irresolute. Gone is the NCAA Football series proper noun. In its identify will be EA Sports College Football. That, Holt said, is the branding the company is working with and planning on using.

"Information technology all starts really with where we see college football as going," Holt said. "There'due south a lot of things happening and there'southward a lot of things happening in sports. EA Sports College Football game gives us a name and a make to kind of work around for some things that might evolve besides as what we're focusing on actually out of the gate, which is really the FBS Partitioning I school and the road to the Higher Football game Playoff and Higher Football Championship.

"So EA Sports College Football, we simply felt, is the right name for the production for non only now but too equally nosotros move forward."

What else still needs to be determined?

Holt said the early focus at EA Sports is on building out a squad to develop the game and working on its design.

"Right now, it'southward been more of a focus on the partnership with CLC, the blueprint aspects, early on innovations that we're working on that might have a long tail on them," he said. "And then building a team and pulling the squad together both internally and externally to make a great game."