The college football lexicon was set on fire last week with news dropping that EA Sports College Football 25 will be back. The long-awaited return of the beloved video game series will be available everywhere this summer after an almost 11-year hiatus.
Officially announced by EA Sports on February 15 with a trailer filmed in the Rose Bowl, it was a belated Valentine for fans of the game. While the rest of the details will remain in the shadows until a full reveal in May, the end of the trailer may have shed some light on the exact release date with the numbers “6”, “7”, and “24” on a clapperboard.
EA Sports College Football Video Game Series
Say it with me: “E.A. Sports. It’s in the game.”
Released annually as EA Sports NCAA Football from 1998-2014, the game is rebranding to to a version of its original name when it launched in 1996, EA Sports College Football USA 96. It was the first college football video game to feature all Division I-A (FBS) teams, which at the time was only 108.
In July 2013, the NCAA decided against renewing its licensing agreement with Electronic Arts (EA Sports) due to uncertainty over litigation in regard to the use of players’ names, images, and likenesses.
While this agreement between the NCAA and EA Sports didn’t include the universities, the major conferences fell in line with the NCAA and didn’t agree to have its likenesses used, forcing EA Sports to put the game on hold in Sept. 2013.
Flash forward to the NIL era of college sports, EA Sports announced the game’s triumphant return in Feb. 2021, pushing for a summer 2023 release. The date was further pushed due to the tedious, full-scale rebuilding of a massive game that had been dormant for over a decade.
Did EA Sports Secretly Reveal the Release Date?
Conspiracy theorists raced to grab their tinfoil hats after the conclusion of the trailer, believing three numbers on the clacker shown for one second was a clandestine message giving fans the exact release date. In the section marked for the scene, there is a “6”; for the take, there is a “7”, and “24” as the frame rate.
It may seem farfetched, but the internet may be onto something with this one (for once). However, there is a dispute over which date the message is alluding to.
MORE: EA Sports College Football 25: Potential Cover Athlete From Every FBS Program
Many thought it is June 7, as is the common date structure used in the US, 6-7-2024 (month-day-year). Given that the game’s fan base is primarily in America, that seems like a fair assumption.
However, the last version of the game was traditionally released in July, with July releases from NCAA Football 2000 to 14. Our friends across the pond in the UK use a day-month-year date structure, which would pin this game for a July 6, 2024 release.
We already know all 134 FBS teams will be featured, but another burning question that may have gotten some clarity is whether or not the game will feature the 128 FCS teams. Some FCS programs hinted it was likely by posting images of its teams on the cover, including Northern Colorado, Tennessee State, and Eastern Washington.
While the specifics remain shrouded in mystery (at least until May), one thing remains certain: we are so back.
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