It’s finally here. EA Sports has brought College Football back into the video game industry after an 11-year hiatus. In what’s thought to be the most anticipated game release of 2024, College Football 25 has football fans around the world rejoicing. From game modes like Road to Glory where you take control of your player and guide him through college, to Dynasty where you take the reigns as coach of a team and lead them to the Promise Land, NCAA 25 has all any gamer could ask for.
The release has recently been announced for July 19, 2024, in a trailer released by EA studios themselves. The trailer included footage of new in-game equipment, graphics, players, and stadiums, all of which look magnificent. The cover that was released with the trailer confirms that Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, and Michigan’s Donovan Edwards will be headlining this year’s installment. Players often rave about being chosen as the Madden cover athlete, so to be put on the cover of a game of this magnitude must be extremely special for these young men.
The reason NCAA 25 has been put off for so long is because of licensing issues within College Sports. Players weren’t able to make money off of college before 2021 when NIL deals (Name, Image, Likeness) were established in the NCAA. These ‘rules’ give players the ability to market for themselves and make money off of scholarships, play on the field, jersey sales, and in this case video games. Every player who opted into the game was given a $600 bonus and a free copy of the game for their cooperation. To put this into perspective, over 10,000 players have opted in as of March 4th. That is more than $6,000,000 made alone by players just for being in a video game. Aside from the fact that this is the reason this game is a real thing, it’s a massive step in the right direction for players to be rewarded for putting their bodies on the line every weekend. Players deserve to be paid regardless of whether they’re in school or the pros.
As an avid gamer at heart and a massive football fan, this game is a dream come true. I’ve been anticipating the release for years and to watch that trailer was truly amazing. I’m excited to see what’s to come as far as announcements and releases in the upcoming months before the game’s official release, and I hope it will be as big a success as it’s expected to be.
