One of the most anticipated video games of 2024 finally has a release date after years of waiting for the newest installment of a once-popular football franchise.
EA Sports College Football 25 will be released worldwide on July 19, and history will be made with active college football players on the cover of the game for the first time ever.
Colorado Buffaloes cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter, Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers and Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards will be the cover stars of the game, EA Sports told USA TODAY Sports. The trio will be on both the standard and deluxe editions of the game.
Gators Online’s Nick de la Torre noticed that current Florida Gators [autotag]Tyreak Sapp[/autotag], [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag], [autotag]Grayson Howard[/autotag] and [autotag]Caleb Banks[/autotag] were all included among the throng of college football players featured in the reveal. It also looks like Derek Wingo is on the left halfway out of frame.
Gators make an appearance early in the EA College Football gameplay reveal.
Tyreak Sapp, Graham Mertz, Pup Howard and Caleb Banks all featured. pic.twitter.com/131Vv35eXw
— Nick de la Torre (@delatorre) May 17, 2024
EA Sports’ video game franchise, which began in 1993, has had players on its cover for the majority of its versions. But when previous versions of the NCAA Football game had players on its cover, they were in their college gear but had already left the college ranks by the time the game came out.
Hunter, Ewers and Edwards are three of more than 10,000 college football players expected to be in the game, according to EA Sports. Player likeness without compensation was the reason why the NCAA Football franchise folded in 2013 and why a college football video game hasn’t been released since then. But with name, image and likeness running rampant in college sports, EA Sports will compensate players in exchange for their likeness with $600 and a free copy of the game.
All the cover stars told reporters it was surreal when they learned the details.
“They’re gonna remember all three of us because we were the first guys on the cover to kind of bring it back,” Ewers said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to be on the cover of the game.”
EA Sports College Football 25 details
EA Sports College Football 25 will be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Standard and deluxe editions of EA Sports College Football 25 are available for pre-order. EA Sports is also offering the MVP bundle, which includes the deluxe editions of EA SPORTS College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25. Prices for the versions are:
- Standard edition: $69.99
- Deluxe edition: $99.99
- MVP bundle: $149.99
Purchase of any version of the game includes an alma mater ultimate team pack, cover athletes ultimate team pack and bring glory home ultimate team pack. The deluxe version and MVP bundle will come with three-day early access for both games and “a variety of other benefits,” including 4,600 college football points − presumably in-game currency − and a Heisman hopeful ultimate team pack.
The full reveal, which typically includes a trailer of the game, will be Friday. EA Sports said more details will be unveiled “throughout the summer” leading up to the release date.
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