EA Sports College Football 25 drops cover, release date

College football fans now know the official cover and release date of EA Sports College Football 25.

The video game company released the official covers for the highly-anticipated game, set to be released this summer. The game will be released on July 19, too, according to EA Sports College’s YouTube page. A full reveal of the game is slated for Friday.

Featured on the standard cover are Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, Colorado wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter and Michigan running back Donovan Edwards.

The three are also included on the deluxe cover, which leaked last week through an in-game screenshot from the PlayStation store. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck and Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins are also included in the secondary cover.

EA also announced the full breakdown of the standard and deluxe editions. Fans who purchase the $69.99 standard edition will receive the base game and a handful of Ultimate Team packs. Those who purchase the deluxe edition – priced at $99.99 – will receive three-day early access and a slew of perks.

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Current athletes are on the cover because it’s the first time EA is paying for the rights to athletes’ NIL. Every player in the game will receive $600 plus a copy of the game. Cover athletes and other college football stars who promote the game have inked endorsement deals with EA.

Over 12,800 athletes have opted into the game, which is significantly more than the number of roster slots. EA previously announced its goal of fielding an 85-man roster for every 134 FBS team.

Hunter dropped a new YouTube video on Thursday morning featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the photoshoot for the EA Sports College Football 25 cover.

What to expect in EA Sports College Football 25?

The original EA college football video game franchise ran from 1998 until 2013. Moving from the Bill Walsh College Football moniker to NCAA Football, the annual game was eventually discontinued. Lawsuits emerged, most notably former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon and 19 others’ decision to sue the NCAA, arguing the organization violated United States antitrust laws by not allowing athletes to make a share of the revenues generated from the use of their in broadcasts and video games.

The video game was last sold in 2013. At the time, EA Sports sold roughly 1.5 million copies. That number is expected to grow exponentially next summer, especially with college football fans waiting more than a decade for the franchise to return.

After months of anticipation, EA announced in February the game will be released in the summer of 2024. A full reveal of the upcoming video game will be unveiled later this month. The official release date is expected in July, the same month previous games have been released.

 The National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) has declined an offer to be in the game, meaning the Bednarik, Biletnikoff, Davey O’Brien, Doak Walker, Grozo, Jim Thorpe, Maxwell, Outland and Ray Guy awards will not be featured. The Heisman Trophy, which is operated by the Heisman Trust, will be included in the game.

In a teaser trailer released this winter, EA showed development images of the gates at Beaver Stadium, the Gator head that Florida players touch when running onto the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and Notre Dame players touching the “Play Like A Champion” sign.

EA also announced the ESPN broadcast crew, which includes Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler, among others. The transfer portal, which has dominated the sport with its one-time transfer rule recently, will also be included. NIL will play a role, too. With conference realignment and an expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, the game will surely have a different feel than NCAA 14, the last time the game was released.