EA Sports and OneTeam Partners on Thursday informed more than 14,000 college football players whether they are in the new College Football 25 video game, an EA spokesperson told The Athletic.
The game, which features the names, images and likenesses of active college football players for the first time, will feature more than 11,000 players as a result of the largest NIL deal of its kind. But not every player who opted in will be in the game. EA Sports will limit teams to around 85 real player spots due to software and developer capacity, and the company based its selections on the players most likely to see the field. There had to be a cutoff at some point.
Players in the game will receive their $600 payment for participation beginning next week. They will also get a code closer to the launch date for a Deluxe Edition copy of the game (a $99.99 value), giving them three-day early access on July 16. Many players received additional payments from EA Sports for promoting the game as “ambassadors.” The cover athletes also signed separate deals.
Players who opted in but were not selected to be in the game at launch could still make the game in later roster updates if they make an impact during the season. EA Sports built in some flexibility by not selecting 85 real players per team for launch. Walk-ons and late-enrolling freshmen in particular could make surprise impacts this fall; if so, they could be added to the game and then receive their payment for participation. EA Sports’ opt-in contracts last the length of a player’s college career, meaning opted-in players who are added in later roster updates won’t need to opt in again. (Players can opt out as well.)
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Notable players who did not opt into the game will be replaced by generic avatars with similar skill ability, as has happened in previous pro sports video games.
Gamers will not be able to adjust the skill attributes of real players due to the NIL contracts, but some of their physical equipment can be tweaked. Real players also cannot be exported in a Dynasty draft class to Madden 25 because the licenses players agreed to are limited to use of only their college likeness.
EA Sports last released a college football game in 2013, pulling the title due to lawsuits over the use of players’ likeness without compensation. The company settled with thousands of former players. EA Sports said in court filings that it was willing to pay the real players, but the NCAA would not allow it due to amateurism rules. With the nationwide adoption of NIL freedoms in 2021, the door for the game’s return reopened, and EA Sports has said it would only bring the game back with the real players.
(Cover art courtesy of EA Sports)