EA Sports College Football video game 'looking forward' to summer 2024 release

The countdown to EA Sports College Football’s return can begin.

A spokesperson informed On3 in a statement Monday that the video gaming company is moving forward with plans for its release next summer. The Brandr Group sued EA for tortious interference in June, arguing it attempted to retain players’ rights while group licensing contracts. EA has since responded, filing a motion to dismiss the lawsuit last week.

“We’re incredibly excited to bring back an authentic college football experience for fans and athletes that have shown such passion for the franchise, and we’re looking forward to delivering it in Summer 2024,” an EA spokesperson told On3.

There had previously been anticipation that EA would return to the college football market this summer. The brand made the decision in November, however, to push back the release until summer 2024. According to EA, everything is still on track for the video game to drop next year.

The 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.

A judge later ordered the NCAA to pay $44.4 million in attorney fees along with another $1.5 million in costs to lawyers for the plaintiffs in O’ Bannon’s class-action lawsuit.

Next summer’s edition will be the first that allows FBS athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness. Roughly 1.5 million copies of the game were sold in 2013. That number is expected to grow exponentially next summer, with college football fans waiting more than a decade for the franchise to return.

Where does EA stand with OneTeam Partners, Brandr Group?

 EA contracted OneTeam Partners to facilitate college athletes’ likeness back in May. The announcement surprised some in the space. That’s because a decision on the licensing partner did not appear to be imminent at the time.

The Brandr Group (TBG) ultimately decided to sue EA Sports for tortious interference. The group licensing company works with more than 54 Division I institutions. When U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam rejected TBG’s motion to issue a temporary restraining order against the video gaming company in June, he noted the only thing at stake in the case was the monetary benefit of TBG. An in-person hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 19. 

A source indicated to On3 in June the cash pool to pay athletes was in the $5 million neighborhood. That would pay out to $500 per player. Athletes will reportedly not make royalties off the game, either.

EA has not made any official offers to FBS athletes yet.

“EA SPORTS has announced that we are working with OneTeam Partners to manage the process for college football athletes to sign up and opt-in to be included in our upcoming EA SPORTS College Football game,” EA’s spokesperson told On3. “There has been speculation around our plans. But it is just that – speculation. To be clear, we have not yet made any offers to any college athletes for this game.”

A competitor in the college licensing realm, OneTeam and The Brandr Group were previously in business together. OneTeam invested a minority stake in TBG in April 2021. In documents filed in the motion to dismiss, EA outlined its plan to ink contracts with institutions with Collegiate Licensing Company. EA argues The Brandr Group does not need to be consulted in negotiations.

Opendorse, which has a previous partnership with EA through the Madden game, could assist the company in distributing the funds through marketing deals on its platform.

What features will be included in new EA game?

Representatives from more than 120 FBS schools have committed to being in the game. All 10 FBS conferences, including the College Football Playoff, have also signed off.

Matt Brown of Extra Points has documented the thousands of image and audio assets schools have sent to EA ahead of the video game, such as pictures of mascots, cheerleaders, uniforms and historic school items. The company has spent time recently on-site on campuses taking 3D scans of stadiums.

Certain songs are expected to be played on crucial third downs or entering the fourth quarter, honoring college football traditions. The transfer portal, which has dominated the sport with its one-time transfer rule in the last two seasons, will also be included per The Athletic’s Chris Vannini

The latest round of college football realignment could make for some interesting twists in the game. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah have sprinted to the Big 12 in recent weeks. The Pac-12 is down to just four institutions: California, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State. Plus, the Big Ten has expanded to 18 with the additions of Oregon and Washington. All of these changes will go into effect for the 2024 season, coinciding with the game’s release.