As a result of the lawsuit, the NCAA was forced to pay $46 million of O’Bannon’s legal fees and opted not to renew its licensing agreement with EA Sports. O’Bannon sought compensation for the unsolicited use of players’ name, image and likeness (NIL) in broadcasts and video games.Īlthough the game did not use players’ names, the players in the video game had the same jersey numbers and biographical information that corresponded to their real-life counterparts. First released in 1993 under the title “Bill Walsh College Football,” the game rebranded four years later to the more recognized “NCAA Football.”’ For years, the game provided players with an immersive experience, allowing them to play as their favorite college team, compete against their rival schools and best of all, beat their friends.ĭespite their games’ popularity, EA Sports ran into legal issues in 2013 when former University of California, Los Angeles basketball power forward Ed O’Bannon sued the NCAA for millions of dollars in compensation over their use of player likeness in NCAA Football and their other games, such as NCAA Basketball. “I don’t think there’s a visit where I go outside wearing a piece of EA Sports-branded apparel that someone doesn’t go, ‘Hey, when is college football coming back?'”įan enthusiasm for the video game has been the one constant in an otherwise bumpy road for the franchise. “As we look for the momentum that we’re building on in sports, it all starts with the passion of our fans and the opportunities of what they are interested in,” EA Sports Vice President and General Manager Daryl Holt told ESPN. The announcement comes after an eight-year hiatus at a time when the demand for its return was reaching an apex. 2, EA Sports announced plans to revive its coveted college football video game series.

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