EA Sports College Football 25: A New Era Dawns
After a hiatus of over a decade, EA Sports is reviving its college football franchise with the release of EA Sports College Football 25. The game promises to bring the excitement and tradition of college football to a new generation of gamers. The release date is set for July 19, and the game will be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The Road to Release
The journey to the release of College Football 25 has been a long and winding one. The last edition of the game, NCAA Football 14, was released in 2013. Production of the game was halted due to lawsuits accusing EA Sports of using players’ likenesses without compensating them.
Following the release of NCAA Football 14, Electronic Arts (EA) settled a lawsuit brought by former college football players who argued their name, image, and likeness (NIL) were used without permission or compensation. Initially, player names and likenesses were not to be included in the game. Several schools, including Notre Dame, Tulane, and Northwestern, refused to join the game until NIL rules were finalized. EA Sports responded by stating "player name, image and likeness is not currently planned for the game. However, we are watching the developments in this area closely and are prepared to take steps to include players should that opportunity arise." At the time, the NCAA had delayed and not voted on new NIL rules, but over two dozen states had either passed or proposed laws so that institutions couldn't enforce the NCAA's NIL rules.
In November 2022, EA Sports announced that the game would be released sometime in the summer. On February 22, EA Sports announced that all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs would be featured in EA Sports College Football 25, but the 128 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) programs would not be included at launch.
Cover Athletes
EA Sports has revealed the cover athletes for College Football 25 and for the first time in the game franchise’s history, all three cover athletes are active players. The cover features Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, and Colorado wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter. All three cover athletes are active players for the first time in the game franchise’s history.
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Edwards excelled in the Wolverines’ national championship run last season, where he became the first player in College Football Playoff (CFP) history with two rushing touchdowns of 40-plus yards in the title game. Ewers led Texas to a victory over Alabama at the beginning of the season last year and a College Football Playoff appearance in the school’s final season in the Big 12. The Longhorns lost to Washington in the semifinals. Hunter, who plays cornerback and wide receiver, was a top recruit out of high school who shocked the landscape when he decided to enroll at Jackson State in 2021 to be coached by Deion Sanders.
“EA SPORTS games are legendary and to see myself on the cover of College Football 25 is truly surreal,” said Edwards. “To represent the burnt orange on the real and virtual gridirons is such an honor. “I couldn’t be more pumped to be part of College Football 25 and represent my Buffaloes on the cover of a game with so much excitement behind it,” said Hunter.
Player Compensation
EA Sports offered FBS players a minimum of $600 and a copy of the game to have their likeness included in it. Over 10,000 athletes have signed up to be included in the game.
Gameplay and Features
College Football 25 promises authentic, fast-paced action in iconic college stadiums. The game is designed for players of all skill levels. Players can become a coach, develop their coaching staff, build their team's winning roster and take them to the national championships, or create a custom player and balance student-athlete life in pursuit of the prestigious Heisman Trophy.
The game will feature iconic atmospheres and authentic soundscapes that fully immerse you inside legendary stadiums, from The Big House to The Swamp, from Tuscaloosa to College Station, complete with all their iconic rituals and traditions. CampusIQ offers an authentic, fast-paced college football experience, featuring an all-new composure system, player Wear & Tear, homefield advantages and dozens of diverse playstyles across all 134 FBS teams.
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The new Wear & Tear system as the hits add up, players wear down. Pre-Snap Recognition makes the decision behind every snap matter more. Do you trust in your high-skill seniors, or take a risk with your untested freshman? Game-altering homefield advantages rattle your rivals in college football's toughest places to play.
Create a coach, take control, upgrade their abilities and build a powerhouse college football program. Live the life of a student-athlete with your created player and take home the Heisman as you build an unforgettable college football legacy. Build your dream team of college football stars and legends. Play Solo Challenges or H2H Seasons to upgrade your squad and take on the toughest contests.
Game Modes
College Football 25 will feature classic modes like Dynasty and Road To Glory.
- Dynasty Mode: Create a coach, take control, upgrade their abilities, and build a powerhouse college football program.
- Road To Glory Mode: Live the life of a student-athlete with your created player and take home the Heisman as you build an unforgettable college football legacy.
- Ultimate Team Mode: Build your dream team of college football stars and legends. Play Solo Challenges or H2H Seasons to upgrade your squad and take on the toughest contests.
Early Access
Fans won't even have to wait until July 19 to see Howard and others on the virtual field if they order the EA Sports MVP Bundle, which will provide three-day early access for College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25. For digital pre-orders, Product will be available to download once early access period begins on July 15, 2024 4:00 pm Eastern Time. Early access will not be available if you redeem after July 18, 2024.
Additional Information
ESPN's lead college football commentary team of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit announced that they would be featured as commentators. Herbstreit was a commentator in EA's original NCAA Football series until its hiatus after NCAA Football 14. Other licensed music appearing in College Football 25 includes "Sandstorm", "Mo Bamba", "Kernkraft 400", "Welcome to the Jungle", "Wave on Wave", and an instrumental of "Talkin' Out the Side of Your Neck".
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Editions and Special Offers
EA Sports is offering several editions of College Football 25, including a standard edition and a deluxe edition. The deluxe edition includes additional content, such as early access to the game and bonus items for the Ultimate Team mode.
This promotional offer expires upon release of EA SPORTS College Football 25. Good only for new purchases of EA SPORTS College Football 25 (“Product”) at participating retailers. You must redeem your single-use code (if a code is required), log into the game, and log into Ultimate Team mode while connected to EA servers (together these steps are referred to as “redeem”) to access pre-order content (Alma Mater Ultimate Team Pack [Choice of 1 out of 134 player items]; Cover Athlete Ultimate Team Pack [choice of 1 of 3 player items]; and Bring Glory Home Ultimate Team Uniform Item). All pre-order content for use with one EA account and is non-transferrable. All player items and packs for use in College Football Ultimate Team (“CUT”). All CUT player items are non-auctionable and non-tradeable. CUT items also may require logging into the CUT in-game store. Some content may require gameplay to unlock. Access to content may require registration with a single-use code. Consult your retailer for distribution details. Pre-order content will not be available if you redeem after July 19, 2025. Offer has no cash value and may not be substituted, exchanged, or sold for cash, goods, or services. May not be combined with other offers or prepaid card redeemable for the applicable content unless expressly authorized by EA. Customer is responsible for applicable sales tax. Acceptance of EA User Agreement (terms.ea.com) and Privacy & Cookie Policy (privacy.ea.com) required to play. Internet connection required. EA and applicable platform accounts may be required for online features and/or pre-order content. Age restrictions apply. See o.ea.com/ea/child-access and applicable platform account for details. Mandatory content updates may be downloaded automatically, require additional storage, incur bandwidth usage fees, and require an additional purchase to access. EA may retire online features with 30 days notice at ea.com/service-updates.
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