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EA Sports Confirms Future College Basketball Video Game

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WVU Basketball on court stock
Kelsie LeRose / WVSN

EA Sports confirms a new video game is in the works that it will deliver a sense of nostalgia to college basketball fans. 

Earlier in the week, EA Sports announced the development of a college basketball video game. 

It will be the first college basketball video game since 2009, when EA Sports released NCAA Basketball 10.

Matt Brown of Extra Points reported the game will be released in 2028. This is based on a memo sent to college conferences offices from the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC).

The memo from November 2024 included a request for proposal that a college basketball video game be created. Five companies expressed formal interest with three filed formal bids, per the memo.

EA Sports stopped producing college sports video games in 2013 after legal issues regarding player name, image and likeness rights (NIL). NCAA Basketball 10 included 325 of the 353 schools at the NCAA Division I level.

In 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the NCAA is not exempt from antitrust laws, requiring the NCAA to allow athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.

A Supreme Court ruling in the case of NCAA v. Alston, which directly led to NCAA policy allowing for NIL compensation, was perhaps the biggest catalyst in the return of the games.

Once NIL requirements were satisfied, EA announced that every FBS football player would receive $600 and a copy of the game, which retails at $69.99, for using their name, image and likeness. There were some opt-outs, highlighted by Texas quarterback Arch Manning, but it appears as though every Pitt Panther will be in the game. However, if a player does opt-out, a created player will not be able to be named after said player.

Since then, EA Sports has released College Football 25 in 2024, which received massive success, and now has College Football 26 coming in July 10. 

Find more coverage of EA Sports video games at WV Sports Now.

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