When Penn State running back Nick Singleton announced on his Instagram feed that he had opted in to officially be included in the upcoming release of EA Sports College Football 25, he was clearly not alone. According to a representative from EA Sports, over 5,000 college football players have already opted in to have their name, image, and likeness included in the long-awaited revival of the gaming publisher’s iconic college football video game franchise.
“More than 5,000 college athletes have opted-in across more than 130 FBS schools… in less than 12 hours,” John Reseburg, VP of Global Marketing, Communications, and Partnerships for EA Sports, said in a message on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account last Thursday. “The total keeps growing.”
By now, it is unknown just what that number has escalated too, although it should not be surprising to know college football players around the country, including at Penn State, are taking advantage of the opportunity to capitalize on their inclusion in the game.
EA Sports is reportedly providing a $600 NIL payment to any college football player who chooses to opt-in to be included in the game, which will be releasing sometime this summer (official release date to be announced in May). Each player opting in will also receive a free copy of the game for whichever gaming console they choose.
EA Sports has not released a college football video game since 2013 with the release of NCAA Football 14. Legal battles over NIL got too heavy to deal with and schools and conferences began backing out of being included in the game, putting the beloved franchise on the shelf waiting for the right time to properly bring the game back to the masses.
Now in the era of NIL in college sports, the time is now.
What an incredible day. More than 5,000 college athletes have opted-in across more than 130 FBS schools…in less than 12 hours. The total keeps growing. Even more excited for future of EA SPORTS College Football! #CFB25 https://t.co/xw6K6F87yf
— John Reseburg (@jrese_original) February 23, 2024
It has been reported that while the basic deal for athletes will be for $600 and a free copy of the game, some athletes will receive wealthier NIL packages as brand ambassadors for the game. It is assumed Singleton is in that category based on his recent Instagram post.
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