It’s finally happening! After a decade of waiting, a beloved college football video game franchise is returning. EA Sports has announced that NCAA Football will return this summer.
The famed franchise hasn’t released a new edition since NCAA Football 14. Several months after the release of that game, the publisher stated that they would not be publishing a new college football game due to legal issues. General Manager of American Football for EA Sports Cam Weber issued a statement saying,
“We have been stuck in the middle of a dispute between the NCAA and student-athletes who seek compensation for playing college football. Just like companies that broadcast college games and those that provide equipment and apparel, we follow rules that are set by the NCAA – but those rules are being challenged by some student-athletes. For our part, we are working to settle the lawsuits with the student-athletes. Meanwhile, the NCAA and a number of conferences have withdrawn their support of our game.”
Those legal issues would lead to a class action lawsuit from former college athletes. EA would settle the suit of $60 million in 2016, paving the way for the game to return.
Now, a new tweet from the game’s publisher has confirmed that a full reveal for the new game will come in May with a planned summer release.
Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts has confirmed that the school is participating in the video game. While appearing on the Omaha World-Herald’s “Cariker Chronicles,” Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts talked about how vital a video game like the EA Sports college football series can be to the sport.
“I think it’s vital. I mean what young person… my son was so mad when that game went away. But I think what it does is it helps grow our sport. It grows the fanbase. It keeps people engaged… It’s a way to distribute your brand and it allows our players to benefit from their Name, Image and Likeness.”
You can find social media reactions to the announcement and confirmation of Nebraska’s participation below.