Plenty of questions still surround the new EA Sports College Football video game and there is no shortage of hype and speculation.
In this article we’ll cover what we know, what we don’t know, and (when appropriate) what we think.
What Will The Game Be Called?
The franchise formerly known as NCAA Football will take the new name of EA Sports College Football.
Beyond that, the exact naming of the first game hasn’t been announced but we are working under the assumption that it will be similar to most other EA Sports titles with the year number at the end of it: EA Sports College Football 25.
When Will It Be Released?
EA Sports has confirmed that College Football 25 will be released in “Summer 2024.”
Although not confirmed by EA, our extensive research points to a release date of Friday, July 12th, 2024 for the regular version and a Tuesday, July 9th, 2024 release date for an early version where you pay $20-$40 extra.
Note: EA titles it’s games in what seems to be 1 year ahead. For example: NCAA Football 14 was released in July 2013. Likewise EA Sports College Football 25 will be released in July 2024.
What Consoles Will It Be On?
College Football 25 will be released exclusively on PlayStation 5 and XBOX Series X/S. It will not be available on the previous generation of consoles like PlayStation 4 and XBOX One.
For those of your still holding out on the new consoles, this is your sign to upgrade.
Will Cross Platform Play Be Enabled?
Crossplay allows users on XBOX to play against users on PlayStation. This is a trend that’s been catching on recently in the sports video game world.
Unfortunately, we don’t know yet if crossplay will be enabled in the new game. There are early rumors that Madden 24 will have it. If it does, there is an excellent chance it will also be in College Football 25.
What Game Modes Will Be In It?
Dynasty Mode, Road To Glory, and Ultimate Team are all confirmed to be in. Beyond that, we haven’t heard anything.
Will Real Names Be Used In The Game?
Yes, real names of NCAA Football players will be used in the new game. The days of downloading special rosters or being stuck with your star quarterback being named QB#7 are over.
EA will pay players who opt-in for usage of their name and likeness.
Will Every Current NCAA Football Player Be In The Game?
The vast majority of players you recognize will be in the game. However, many colleges have over 100 players on their team at any given time. For this reason some of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th string players may not 100% accurately represented in the game.
Note: There may be a high profile player here and there that doesn’t agree to the usage of his name, image, and likeness but we expect those to be few and far between.
What Universities/Colleges Will Be In It?
There were some notable early holdouts a couple years ago, but at this point you should expect all major college football programs to be represented in the game.
EA Sports announced last year that they had an agreement with at least 120 schools. For reference, there are ~130 total FBS schools.
There may still be a handful of smaller schools that won’t be in the game, but if this happens you likely won’t even notice.
What Conferences Will Be In The Game?
All 10 FBS conferences have signed on. That includes the Power 5 conferences:
- SEC
- BIG 10
- BIG 12
- PAC-12
- ACC
As well as the lesser known “Group of 5” conferences:
- C-USA
- MAC
- Mountain West
- Sun Belt
- AAC
What About FCS teams and HBCUs?
We don’t know yet. EA has not confirmed or denied including FCS and HBCU schools.
Will The College Football Playoff Be Included?
Yes, Electronic Arts has reached a deal with the College Football Playoffs.
The new game will also be timed out perfectly to coincide with the expanded 12 team college football playoff that starts in 2024.
Will The Transfer Portal Be Part Of The Game?
Yes, the transfer portal will be in dynasty mode. How it will work exactly? We still don’t know.
Who Will The Announcers Be?
EA Sports has a deal with ESPN and has already started recording some of the voice work for the game.
Rece Davis and David Pollack are confirmed to be in but there may be other personalities from ESPN that join them.
How Long Has EA Sports Been Working On The Game?
The first announcement of the return to College Football video games happened on February 2nd, 2021.
They were likely working on it (in some way) months before that.
With the game expected to be released in July 2024, it looks like it will be about 4 years in development.
What Engine Will It Be Built On?
College Football 25 will be built off the Frostbite Engine. This is the same game engine that the Madden NFL franchise uses.
Are There Any Early Screenshots or Videos?
Not yet, but we’ll update you when they come out.
What School-Specific Imagery Will Be In It?
Lots. EA is working on 3D renderings of college stadiums, designing mascots, and they have requested pageantry and tradition materials from all participating colleges.
What Will College Football 25 Playbooks Look Like?
College football is known for innovative, daring, and downright wacky formations and plays.
The accurate reflection of that in the old NCAA Football games’ playbooks was one of the coolest parts of the franchise.
Having the ability to dominate your friends by running a triple option scheme from the Wishbone was essential to the longevity and fun of the game.
It is our hope that this is reflected in the new game but unfortunately we haven’t heard anything regarding playbooks just yet.
Who Will Be On The Cover?
The cover athlete for College Football 25 hasn’t yet been announced but for the first time in the series’ history, EA will have the option to put someone still in college on the cover.
That being said, we do have a prediction for who will be in the cover.
Will There Be Weekly Updates?
Other sports games like Madden, FIFA, etc have weekly roster updates. EA has confirmed that continuing live services will be a part of the new College Football game, we don’t expect there to be a rigid weekly schedule like in some of their other sports games.
The person we talked to mentioned that this would be too tall of a task with how many teams there are, how many games there are each week, and how big college football rosters are.
Will There Be Any Competing College Football Games?
Anything is possible but as of now, the answer is no. EA’s press release clearly states:
“The partnership allows for EA SPORTS to be the exclusive developer of simulation college football video game experiences.”
Your Questions
What other questions do you have about EA Sports’ College Football 25 game? Leave them in the comments!
Any idea about if you’ll be able to import draft classes into Madden?
Haven’t heard anything on importing draft classes. I’d have to think that is in the sort of mid-tier priority spot where it is important but not the most important thing on their list.
Anything on if there will be that game mode where the mascots play against each other?
I haven’t heard anything on that. Is mascot mode something that’s important to you in the new game?
Will you be able to edit rosters?
In terms of like a roster share like we had in the past, that is unlikely.