NCAA Will Not Renew EA Sports Contract, NCAA Football Series is Dead in Name Only

[jeremym480]

Quote: Originally Posted by aholbert32

People are jumping the gun a bit. One, EA has released football games in the past without an NCAA license (Bill Walsh series). Two, this is connected to the O'bannon lawsuit and if the NCAA wins it or settles it in their favor, they will be back looking for licensees. Three, with teambuilder, EA could still release the game without the NCAA logo and team names and allow users to create names, teams etc. Four, there is a key part of the release that people are ignoring: Member colleges and universities license their own trademarks and other intellectual property for the video game. They will have to independently decide whether to continue those business arrangements in the future. EA will have to work with the individual conferences like they always have to get rights to logos, stadiums and uniforms. Same with the BCS. I cant see EA walking away from college football revenue yet.

I hope your right... I really do.

I'm 33 years old and have been playing NCAA football since I was a teenager. Not having a new NCAA Football every summer is going to really hurt. I'm optimistic that EA will find a way. Maybe not next year, but at least in the future.

[DJ]

Quote: Originally Posted by DorianDonP

It seems it would only be a big deal if their decision to not renew convinces other conferences and teams to not renew.

Correct. There will be schools/conferences that won't want to stir the waters and will align with the NCAA.

[Watson]

...




In all seriousness, I feel like I was punched in the gut. **** the NCAA.

[TCFClemson]

This was my first ever NCAA game

[aholbert32]

Quote: Originally Posted by DorianDonP

Good catch. So EA already deals with the schools and conferences individually. So if I'm reading this correctly, all this means is instead of NCAA 15, maybe we'll get ESPN College Football 2015. And since the playoffs are called the "College Football Playoffs" and not "NCAA Football Playoffs", then not having NCAA in the game isn't really a big deal. It seems it would only be a big deal if their decision to not renew convinces other conferences and teams to not renew.

Correct.

The playoffs actually would be called the BCS playoffs because the BCS is a separate entity from the NCAA. The conferences are not being sued in the O'bannon suit so they arent affected right now. If anything the removal of the NCAA opens more money for the conferences and BCS.

[DELUS1ONAL]

Does anyone think that NCAA 14 will sell like hotcakes now that it could and probably will be the last one?

[WVUJabroni97]

I'm actually really enjoying NCAA 14 (unlike last year's) and was curious to see what it could be like on next gen, but bye, bye to that.

[BleedGreen710]

Quote: Originally Posted by aholbert32

One other note: 2K IS NOT BUYING THE DAMN LICENSE!!!!!! The end of the license has nothing to do with a license fee. It has to do with the O'bannon case and the fact that O'bannon is using video games as a justification for pursuing his claim. The NCAA is not going to sell its license to another company.

Yes that's true.. but that doesn't mean the decision wont spark 2k to make their own college football game with generic teams (or teams users create, like on APF 2k8). Now is the perfect time to strike, while EA is down.