Get ready, fans of Florida, Florida State, Miami, UCF, USF and all of college football: EA Sports' beloved video game franchise is coming back this summer.
EA Sports announced Thursday that College Football 25 was officially coming back after more than a decade. Gator fans will be able to play in The Swamp on their PS5 or Xbox Series X. FSU fans can put themselves in Mike Norvell's shoes and continue the Seminoles' rise. UM fans can build their own player, strap on The U and win the Heisman Trophy. And fans of UCF or USF can build the Knights and Bulls into the best program in Florida and run through the College Football Playoff.
EA Sports' old NCAA Football franchise was discontinued after 2013 because of a NIL lawsuit. But now that college athletes are allowed to profit off their name, image and likeness, the video game franchise is able to return.
The first trailer shows renderings of stadiums (including the gator head inside UF's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium) and mascots, showing the game intends to show off everything that makes college football great. And even though there's no official release date yet, college football fans are excited to play as their favorite teams and players for the first time in 11 years.
Here's what we know:
What is EA College Football 25?
The EA Sports NCAA Football video game franchise began in 1997. It let players play as their favorite college football teams in stadiums across the country. However, the players in the game could be identified only by their numbers because no one was legally allowed to make money off amateur athletes' names.
Nonetheless, the games were incredibly popular throughout the 2000s up until 2013, when the games were discontinued. Over the years, more intricate details about schools' traditions made it into the game. The ability to create your own player and build a dynasty at your favorite school made each year's new installment a must-add for college football fans.
However, that all came to an end after NCAA Football 14 because of a landmark NIL lawsuit that forced the game to go on hiatus. Players have been modifying the 2013 version of the game on their own since then in an attempt to keep it up-to-date, but this summer, EA Sports College Football 25 will return for the modern audience.
How is College Football 25 dealing with NIL? How much will players be paid?
The NIL debate is what led to the popular NCAA Football games behind discontinued more than a decade ago. The landmark O'Bannon v. NCAA case centered around players not being paid despite their likenesses appearing in college football and basketball video games. The ruling in favor of several former college athletes in the class-action lawsuit in 2014 caused EA Sports to stop making the games.
As the NCAA's NIL rules have taken shape over the past few years, EA Sports announced in 2021 that it would bring the college football game. Thursday's announcement was the first time fans got to see how the new system would work.
EA Sports told multiple outlets that each player who opts into the game will receive $600 and a copy of the game. According to The Athletic, up to 85 players from each school will be on the initial rosters. Players who do not opt in will be represented by a generic avatar. Gamers who played MLB games in the early 2000s will remember a similar situation involving Barry Bonds, who did not give developers license to use his likeness.
Can I play as Florida football, FSU, Miami, UCF or USF in College Football 25?
Yes. All 134 FBS schools will be included in EA Sports College Football 25, the company announced Thursday.
Whether, for instance, FSU fans will be able to play as DJ Uiagalelei will depend on whether he and the rest of the Seminoles opt into the game. But they can make their own player to play at Doak Campbell Stadium in the Road to Glory mode. Dynasty mode will be back to let fans build Florida State back into a national power and make the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. And if they want, they can even speed up conference realignment and leave the ACC as EA Sports senior vice president Daryl Holt said customization will be in the game.
Can I play as FAMU football in College Football 25?
For this year at least, College Football 25 is focusing on FBS schools. That means fans of FCS schools such as FAMU, Bethune-Cookman and Stetson will not be able to play as their teams.
FCS schools were playable in previous versions of the game. But Daryl Holt, EA Sports' senior vice president, said while FBS is the focus for this year, the company is "expecting adding to this project and program" as they go forward.
How much will College Football 25 cost?
The price hasn't been announced yet, but games of its like typically cost $70.
Is it NCAA Football 25 or College Football 25?
EA Sports' college football video game franchise was previously called "NCAA Football." The new version of the game is being rebranded as "College Football."
When is the College Football 25 release date?
EA Sports said only that the game would be released this summer. Previous iterations of EA Sports NCAA Football games were released in July.
