College Football is making its video game return this summer, and while much of the current attention is on players opting in — or out — of the video game, the players aren’t the only entities with options.
According to a report from On3’s Pete Nakos, the National College Football Awards Association has opted out of EA Sports College Football 25, meaning some of the top awards in college football will not be featured in the game.
EA Sports College Football 25 Won’t Include Major Awards
According to the report, major awards like the Doak Walker, Bednarik, Biletnikoff, Davey O’Brien, Jim Thorpe, Lou Groza, Ray Guy, Maxwell, and Outland will be absent from the game. The dispute, according to the report, centers on compensation.
According to NCFAA president Mark Wolpert, EA’s offer was insufficient and was a “nominal increase based on the 2014 number.”
In an interview with On3, Wolpert said, “The offer that has been made is not adequate for the rights fee for the awards.”
In the last iteration of the game, most of the awards were included, but a few award trophies, like the Butkus are absent and replaced by generic awards like “Best LB.”
The NCFAA’s opt-out is a reminder of the sheer amount of stakeholders in the huge business of EA Sports College Football 25. It’s not just players and announcers, but coaches (who will be absent in this game), fight songs, student sections, mascots, and yes, trophies and awards.
At this time, the Heisman Trophy has been confirmed to be included in the game. The Heisman Trust, separate from the NCFAA, will negotiate separately for EA. There is no indication so far that the Heisman will be absent from the game.
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EA Sports College Football 25 is expected to drop sometime this summer after a full trailer release in May. College Football Network will continue to cover every development up to — and through — the game’s release this summer.
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