EA Sports announced in April the release date of EA College Football 2026, the second installment of its renewed college football videogame franchise. The game will release on July 10th, alongside EA Sports’ signature NFL video game Madden.
The original EA College Football 2025 was the first college football video game by the publisher in over a decade, as NIL agreements finally allowed the publication of college athletics videogames without violating court rulings regarding the use of name, image and likeness.
EA has kept innovating for this new edition, with new features having been announced.

Top 5 Exciting Features in EA College Football 2026
Gameplay Deep Dive Friday June 20th
pic.twitter.com/8cUG6F2xaK
— EA Sports College Football 26 Countdown (@DaysTillNCAA) June 18, 2025
#5 New wear and tear system
The wear and tear system drew heavy criticisms from the fans last season, due to the difficulty of properly managing the impact it has on a roster. The game now includes three predetermined systems to manage wear and tear. Default while maintaining standard substitution patterns, Keep Fresh prioritizes player health and Grind it Out while prioritize keeping the best players on the field regardless of the impact on their health.
#4 Dynamic Substitutions
While the wear and tear system already allowed for players to be replaced without pausing the game, the players still demanded more direct control over substitutions without breaking the flow of the game. EA has now included a sub-control that allows players to directly substitute a player without having to pause their game.
#3 New offensive and defensive abilities
EA has added two new abilities to College Football 26. On the offensive side, players will be able to use “Battering ram”, which will allow power backs to deliver increased levels of wear and tear to defenders. While the “Hammer” ability already existed, it’s being revamped on the defensive side. It will now provide an increased likelihood of forcing fumbles.
#2 New QB Challenges: Enhanced QB Progression System
EA recognized that in last year’s edition, lower-rated quarterbacks had an easier time than they would’ve liked. Now they’re purposely making it more difficult to play with lower-rated signal-callers in an effort to offer more realistic gameplay. Highly rated quarterbacks will have an easier time cycling through receiving options while lower-rated ones will have fewer progressions and significantly slower decision-making.
#1 Block Steering
This new mechanic will allow players to have greater control over the battle at the line of scrimmage, from an offensive point of view. Players will now be able to steer the direction in which offensive linemen block opposing defensive linemen. This will allow them to open new avenues of attack for their quarterback and running backs.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!