EA is diving back into the world of college football for the first time since 2013, the publisher announced today. But EA Sports College Football, which is currently in the early stages of development, will make its return without NCAA licenses or rights to the names and images of current college players.
Instead, EA says the new game “will include the rights of more than 100 institutions with logos, stadiums, uniforms, game traditions and more that fans have come to know and love.
The NCAA and many of the major college football conferences decided not to renew their exclusive contracts with EA Sports in July 2013, amid legal disputes over whether players could share in the profits from using various NCAA trademarks. At the same time, EA was facing a direct lawsuit over the unauthorized use of player names and images in the franchise, which eventually led to a multimillion-dollar deal.
This combination of legal problems led EA to announce the end of the best seller NCAA College Football franchise in 2013. “The ongoing legal issues combined with the increase in issues surrounding schools and conferences have left us in a difficult position that challenges our ability to deliver an authentic sports experience, which is the foundation of EA Sports games,” the company said at the time.
The NCAA still prohibits its players from profiting in any way from their role as student-athletes, although the organization is currently considering changing these rules amid legislative pressure from states like California. EA says it is “continuing to observe these developments closely”.
EA’s decision to avoid the NCAA and player licenses is already generating some controversy in power. “Taking athletes out of this restart so that they are not responsible for paying for their image is a serious injustice,” said Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) In a statement. reported by Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated. “Soon I will be introducing legislation to help players finally profit from their talent, so they don’t have to face continuous abuse like this.
Although NCAA and its players are not directly involved in the new game, EA is working with the Collegiate Licensing Company to obtain images and trademarks associated with the schools included. But some of the most important pitfalls of the college football season, like the conference system and bowling, will apparently not be covered by the school licensing agreement.
EA claims that its agreement with CLC makes it “the exclusive developer of football simulation video game experiences”. The use of “simulation” can be significant; Similar wording in EA’s “exclusive” deal with the NFL allowed Take-Two 2K’s subsidiary last year to announce the return of the NFL2K series as a “non-simulation” title.
In an interview with ESPN, EA Sports vice president and general manager Daryl Holt said the new game “will not happen this year”.