The popular NCAA Football video game series is coming back. EA Sports announced today that they are reviving the video game that has been out of commission since NCAA 2014 was released in 2013. The announcement from EA Sports was very vague but there have been some details reported and leaked.
NCAA Football was a staple video game series from 1998 to 2013. The game was on every major platform during that time alongside its counterpart Madden NFL.
Will player names be in NCAA Football?
Although the laws are changing all over the country, NCAA Football will not include player names or images. Several states have already changed their laws on this matter causing the NCAA to change their rules that were previously stopping players from profiting off their own likeness. Once legislation and rules are finalized for NCAA athletes to profit off their likeness, the NCAA will include player details and likeness in the game as reported by Alicia Jessop of The Athletic.
Based on comments from NCAA representatives last year, this should happen early in 2021. Below are some relevant comments from NCAA leadership in April of 2020.
“Throughout our efforts to enhance support for college athletes, the NCAA has relied upon considerable feedback from and the engagement of our members, including numerous student-athletes, from all three divisions. Allowing promotions and third-party endorsements is uncharted territory.” – Michael V. Drake, chair of the board and president of Ohio State
“The NCAA’s work to modernize name, image and likeness continues, and we plan to make these important changes on the original timeline, no later than January 2021. The board’s decision today provides further guidance to each division as they create and adopt appropriate rules changes.” -Gene Smith, Ohio State senior vice president and athletics director
“As we evolve, the Association will continue to identify the guardrails to further support student-athletes within the context of college sports and higher education. In addition, we are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education, college sports and students at large. We hope that modernized name, image and likeness rules will further assist college athletes during these unprecedented times and beyond.” -Val Ackerman, commissioner of the Big East and working group co-chair
The possibility of a lack of player likeness is not stopping people from going crazy over the return of the college football game on social media.
