NCAA Football 14 News Post

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

03:24 PM - July 17, 2013 by FloorGeneral

The NCAA has decided today, unilaterally it appears, to not renew their license with EA Sports for the NCAA Football video game beginning next year.

In the statement, the NCAA said, "The NCAA has made the decision not to enter a new contract for the license of its name and logo for the EA Sports NCAA Football video game. The current contract expires in June 2014, but our timing is based on the need to provide EA notice for future planning. As a result, the NCAA Football 2014 video game will be the last to include the NCAA�s name and logo. We are confident in our legal position regarding the use of our trademarks in video games. But given the current business climate and costs of litigation, we determined participating in this game is not in the best interests of the NCAA."

EA should still be able to work out individual school, conference, awards, etc. licenses from the CLC -- which should mean the series should be able to live on. At the end of the day, this is the NCAA taking it's name and logo off of the game, but nothing more it appears. So while the series can't be called "NCAA Football" anymore, perhaps with the ESPN license the series can be called "EA Sports College Gameday 15" next season.

The only way this ends the NCAA Football series altogether is if one of two further scenarios happen: 1)If EA Sports decides it is done with the series altogether, which is doubtful given it's a top seller in the US. 2)If the CLC won't play ball with EA Sports, and thus EA has to negotiate licenses individually from member institutions

It is possible EA Sports will not continue development of the game after this year because of either reason, or because of fears of financial fallout from the Ed O'Bannon lawsuit. However, there is no guarantee EA will face huge financial problems from the O'Bannon lawsuit, and in a sense -- the threat of the O'Bannon lawsuit ending the series is the same today as it was yesterday.

I EA wants to they can continue the game with purely cosmetic changes and greater creative freedom without the NCAA hovering above the game. And let's face it, the less the NCAA is involved in anything, the better it will be.

So in a sense, the only thing different today versus yesterday with regards to the NCAA Football series is that it is no longer the NCAA Football series going forward. Everything thing else remains the same.

UPDATE: Brett McMurphy of ESPN is reporting ESPN has been told EA Sports will still have a college football video game beyond 2014, next year's game will be called College Football 15.

UPDATE #2: According to ESPN's Sports Business reporter Darren Rovell the CLC, which handles school, bowl, awards, etc. licensing, says it plans to work with EA in the future despite the NCAA dropping out.

UPDATE #3: EA Sports Executive Vice President Andrew Wilson speaks. In a statement, Wilson said, "EA SPORTS will continue to develop and publish college football games, but we will no longer include the NCAA names and marks. Our relationship with the Collegiate Licensing Company is strong and we are already working on a new game for next generation consoles which will launch next year and feature the college teams, leagues and all the innovation fans expect from EA SPORTS.

We took big creative strides with this year's college game and you�ll see much more in the future. We love college football and look forward to making more games for our fans."

Game: NCAA Football 14Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 54 - View All

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Member Comments

# 501 stlpimpmonsta @ 07/17/13 08:11 PM

But how that works 4 online play?

# 502 awill25 @ 07/17/13 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stlpimpmonsta


	Cool people are answering my 1st question but what about the other question? Why aren't the CLC being sued if they are the sole reason these games even exist?

The CLC isn't the reason the players aren't paid. The whole issue is over players not being eligible to receive compensation due to NCAA rules. I'm sure the CLC could care less if players are paid.

# 503 stlpimpmonsta @ 07/17/13 08:13 PM

Btw my last question was toward JustAnotherGamer

# 504 Jet Sufferer @ 07/17/13 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aholbert32


	A couple of problems with that: One APF2k8 was a sales failure so why would 2k want to release another generic football game. Two, EA can still do deals with the conferences which own 99% of the IP (uniforms, logos, stadiums) that people care about.

This is my question, browsed the thread and couldn't find the answer so if this is redundant my apologies in advance.

Is the deal with the CLC exclusive in any way, if 2K or some other upstart want to thrown their hat in the ring and make a College game is the cost of the license prohibitive? Will they sell the license to multiple companies like the old days?

For the love of God will some other big name companies/talent please make a football game? High School, college, SEC, 5 college conferences, Division 2 College, 11 mascots and a ballboy, something, anything, throw me a bone here.

# 505 spike83 @ 07/17/13 08:16 PM

I'm must be getting old; I'm just tired of all the business, greed and anything else I failed to mentioned that has destroyed college football and the pagentry and rivalries which made it special.

Anyone up for Ivy League / Small School College Football 14 for the PS & Xbox systems?

# 506 dat boi Q @ 07/17/13 08:17 PM

This is ok news. Not going to jump the gun and expect ea sports to put in all the stuff NCAA restricted them to add to the game. The is EA SPORTS

# 507 lsuandduke @ 07/17/13 08:18 PM

http://www.ea.com/news/update-on-ea-...llege-football

# 508 awill25 @ 07/17/13 08:25 PM

Ya know guys.... Looking from an optimistic point of view... This is the best period of college football gaming in quite awhile. We currently have the best game we have had in years with NCAA 14. Now we are moving into a new generation of consoles that are easier to develop for than this one, and we are losing the "restrictions" the NCAA has placed on the franchise. Let's face it, what college sports really are and what the NCAA wants to portray to us are two totally different things. Hopefully we can get closer to an authentic playing experience without the NCAA involvement.

# 509 fballturkey @ 07/17/13 08:27 PM

This thread is moving too fast for most people to see this, but I don't think people understand the advantage EA has with football games right now.

1) Employees. They have the only employees that have worked on a football video game (excluding backbreaker) in around 6 years. Sure you could come in and take a couple, but everyone else will be starting from scratch. That's a big hurdle to get over.

2) Technology. Do you know why there are legacy issues since 2007 still in the game? They use a lot of the same code from year to year. It's the only thing that makes a yearly installment game profitable at their price point. There is no engine for an upstart to license out like they could for other genres. You'd be starting from scratch. That's really expensive.

3) Brand. People are creatures of habit. If you buy head and shoulders when you're 22 you'll probably buy it when your 40. Videogames are hardly different. Also College football games are a niche genre. A big niche, but a niche. It's not a first person shooter. The market only has so much room.

4) Relationships. EA has a relationship with the important parties (ESPN, CLC, NFL, etc) already. Other companies generally don't. Sure you could go build them, but that takes time and money and introduces uncertainty.

Basically if I ran a video game company I'd love, personally, to make a college football game. I'd also deserve to be fired if I tried because its a really unprofitable idea.

# 510 aholbert32 @ 07/17/13 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jet Sufferer


	This is my question, browsed the thread and couldn't find the answer so if this is redundant my apologies in advance. Is the deal with the CLC exclusive in any way, if 2K or some other upstart want to thrown their hat in the ring and make a College game is the cost of the license prohibitive? Will they sell the license to multiple companies like the old days? For the love of God will some other big name companies/talent please make a football game? High School, college, SEC, 5 college conferences, Division 2 College, 11 mascots and a ballboy, something, anything, throw me a bone here.

The deal is no longer exclusive after 2013 but if you expect someone else like 2k to jump in compete with EA...its unlikely.

# 511 Perfect Zero @ 07/17/13 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quint75


	One thing about EA and this series: Owen Goode said this is the 3rd largest selling sports game/franchise in the US. That's nothing to sneeze at and I can't see why stockholders would be so willing to give that up so easily.

Because investors more than anybody pounce on even the slightest bit of news. The headline reads that the NCAA is pulling out of a future deal with EA. It doesn't really talk about the CLC or the future of gaming, all it says is that the NCAA is pulling out. Investors have been known to do worse. EA has already seen a 1.57% dip today due to the news and it's far away from the $60 days on the market.

And you hit on a very good point in that it's the third largest franchise in the United States. It pales in comparison to FIFA and is still lagging behind Madden. Now with the uncertainty of what's going to happen in court and with your best known partner pulling out? That doesn't sound too good.

Again, they may pull this off, but there is still a long road ahead.

# 512 leathrneck34 @ 07/17/13 08:30 PM

I don't know if anyone else is aware and can post a link because I cannot. I was on ESPN and they also have a story on this, and they said there is another game coming in 15 and EA is calling it College Football 15. And major schools such as Alabama Oregon and Ohio or something like that will be present. What it didn't say was that any other schools will be involved.

# 513 aholbert32 @ 07/17/13 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leathrneck34


	I don't know if anyone else is aware and can post a link because I cannot. I was on ESPN and they also have a story on this, and they said there is another game coming in 15 and EA is calling it College Football 15. And major schools such as Alabama Oregon and Ohio or something like that will be present. What it didn't say was that any other schools will be involved.

Its expected that all 127 teams will be in next years game.

# 514 jseward92 @ 07/17/13 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aholbert32


	Its expected that all 127 teams will be in next years game.

Hopefully they are all in.

# 515 sportzbro @ 07/17/13 08:33 PM

Crazy. Wondering if this will effect bowls/playoffs in the game?

# 516 leathrneck34 @ 07/17/13 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jseward92


	Hopefully they are all in.

That's a relief... I was worried only major schools would be in it. After that though who know's what we'l get if anything.

# 517 leathrneck34 @ 07/17/13 08:39 PM

Hopefully we'll see a college game on the next gen that rivals what we had 2nd gen. Including all the D2, and I will forever call' em D2 and not FCS, lol. Anyway hopefully we see that among other things like suspensions and celebrations come back to some extent.

# 518 thedudedominick @ 07/17/13 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leathrneck34


	Hopefully we'll see a college game on the next gen that rivals what we had 2nd gen. Including all the D2, and I will forever call' em D2 and not FCS, lol. Anyway hopefully we see that among other things like suspensions and celebrations come back to some extent.

I wonder if all the things the NCAA frowned upon like the celebrations and suspensions will start working their way back into the game.

# 519 aholbert32 @ 07/17/13 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sportzbro


	Crazy. Wondering if this will effect bowls/playoffs in the game?

Zero. The playoffs are licensed under the BCS. The bowls have their own separate deals too.

# 520 The JareBear @ 07/17/13 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedudedominick


	I wonder if all the things the NCAA frowned upon like the celebrations and suspensions will start working their way back into the game.

We can only hope

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