UK, trademark licensing agency reviewing EA Sports College Football proposal

Photo by UK Athletics

The University of Kentucky is exploring the possibility of joining EA Sports’ highly-anticipated reintroduction of its beloved college football video game series.

Following speculation that the school may not participate due to licensing conflicts, UK told KSR in a statement that it is currently reviewing the proposal EA Sports has made to the school’s trademark licensing company and feels the news of the popular video game series making its return is “exciting.”

“It’s exciting that EA Sports is engaging in a college football game again,” said Jason Schlafer, UK Executive Associate Director of Athletics. “Currently, we are reviewing what they have proposed to our trademark licensing agency.”

Out of 130 total FBS programs, 118 of them are part of the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), who previously signed a multi-year licensing deal with EA Sports to include its participating schools in the upcoming college football video game series.

Of the 12 total schools not affiliated with the CLC, and therefore not signed on to participate in EA Sports College Football as of today, Kentucky is featured in that group.

Here is the entire list of schools not currently included in the agreement:

• Air Force
• Arizona State
• Army
• Clemson
• Georgia State
• Kentucky
• Navy
• New Mexico
• Notre Dame
• Pittsburgh
• Troy
• USC

Despite the initial exclusion, EA Sports is able to sign individual deals with the schools not affiliated with the CLC, something they have done on numerous occasions in the past. In fact, both Clemson and USC were included in the latest installment of Madden 21, specifically in the game’s Face of the Franchise mode, which featured both schools’ names, logos and uniforms.

As made clear by UK’s statement to KSR, the video game franchise is interested in Kentucky being included in EA Sports College Football, and it appears the interest is mutual.