NCAA Football 14 News Post

SEC, Pac-12, Big Ten Won't License Trademarks in Future Video Games

11:56 AM - August 14, 2013 by vhhsfu0509

The Southeastern Conference announced today that it will not, as a conference, license its trademarks in the EA Sports NCAA Football video game. This decision does not involve member universities as of yet, as this only involves the SEC conference name and logo.

However, this could be the type of event that opens the flood gates to future defections from the game. While the future of the College Football series looked somewhat on stable ground after EA and the CLC agreed to a three year deal, this news rattles the very foundations and future of the series.

"Each school makes its own individual decision regarding whether or not to license their trademarks for use in the EA Sports game(s)," the SEC said in a statement. "The Southeastern Conference has chosen not to do so moving forward. Neither the SEC, its member universities, nor the NCAA have ever licensed the right to use the name or likeness of any student to EA Sports."

This is another move in response to the Ed O'Bannon case which could end collegiate video games forever given unfavorable rulings from the courts.

Today's news only brings more questions as to the viability of the product going forward.

UPDATE: ESPN's Kristi Dosh is reporting that the Big XII says they have yet to make a decision on the inclusion of their marks in future College Football video games.

UPDATE #2: ESPN is now reporting the Big Ten is out as well.

UPDATE #3: In a statement to Joystiq, a CLC representative said "150 collegiate institutions, including SEC schools, have approved renewal of the EA college football license, to begin with the 2015 edition. As with any licensed product, individual schools continue to make their own decisions."

We are putting in a question with the CLC on whether this means schools can still opt out of the game at any time or not as the wording certainly seems to leave that possibility open.

Update #4: Jeremy Fowler of CBS is reporting that the Pac-12's marks also won't be in the new game.

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Member Comments

# 81 TripleCrown9 @ 08/14/13 01:58 PM

There are tons of names they could use, it all comes down to how dumb you want it to sound.

# 82 aholbert32 @ 08/14/13 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripleCrown9


	They could even go as shallow as Southeastern Football Conference, and they would be fine.

Thats a little to close. I help manage my company's trademarks and if another company used a name that close, we would send a cease and desist letter and threaten to sue.

# 83 TripleCrown9 @ 08/14/13 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aholbert32


	Thats a little to close. I help manage my company's trademarks and if another company used a name that close, we would send a cease and desist letter and threaten to sue.

Even if it's not an exact match? Didn't know that.

# 84 fballturkey @ 08/14/13 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duece


	I don't think so. EA may shoot themselves in the foot if they do that. People are still playing NFL 2K5 years later because it's a good game with good gameplay and a good fun factor. Let's just say that College Football '15 turns out to have great gameplay and a good fun factor as well as have 100% customization of everything from rosters, helmets, jerseys, pants, socks, outfitters, stadiums, coaches, band-music, mascots (hell even rules). People may not buy another football game again for years. They'll just wait for the creative kids with boat loads of time to update the uniforms, rosters for each incoming season. That may put a dent in EA's sales.. I could be wrong....but

Naw. Nobody is buying the new NCAA games every year because of the new sunbelt teams that get added. They're buying due to graphics and gameplay improvements.

# 85 aholbert32 @ 08/14/13 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Husker_OS


	Can't use that name, it's trademarked by the actual Southern Conference. If schools start pulling out of this I'll never buy the game again.

How many schools would have to pull out? Lets say Alabama, Notre Dame and USC pull out. But the game allows individuals to replicate those teams through Teambuilder. Meaning people can create uniforms, stadiums and logos for those teams.

Would you still not buy the game?

# 86 UH53 @ 08/14/13 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xirdneh132


	By the way, comparing minor league baseball and college players is a horrible comparison. Minor league players may not have the same publicity but they are getting paid, they don't have thousands of rules to follow, they can spend their money how they want, they can invest their money how they see fit, NCAA players cannot. Jadeveon Clowney has created more money for the university than they have invested in him and we can go down the line of players who have made money more than enough to pay for their own scholarships. I don't buy into the idea of student-athlete because it's being na�ve because no one outside of a handful of people really care about them as students, they care about how they perform on the field and their scholarship is based upon athletics not academics. Also, their scholarships can be revoked for almost any reason no matter how well they are doing academically. I hope they take advantage of their opportunity but I'm under no illusion as to why they are there and I'm saying that as a former high school teacher who has had a few students get athletic scholarships to universities. I care about them completely because I knew them but even they cared more about athletics than their academics and I definitely know the only reason coaches came around was for their athletic talent. I'm fine with that, it's how the game is played and it still gives them opportunities which is great but I'm not going to pretend college sports is about academics because it isn't.

Well said and 100% agree!

# 87 aholbert32 @ 08/14/13 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripleCrown9


	Even if it's not an exact match? Didn't know that.

Yep. If I'm the SEC I would argue that because the SEC's entire mark is being used (Southeastern Football Conference) that its infringement and there is a high likelihood of confusion that people will think the conference that appears in the game is affiliated with the SEC.

# 88 Cryolemon @ 08/14/13 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripleCrown9


	Even if it's not an exact match? Didn't know that.

The legal precedent is whether it would confuse "an idiot in a hurry".

# 89 AuburnAlumni @ 08/14/13 02:06 PM

No more College Hoops....

No more NCAA Football....

Those consist or consisted of about 95% of my console gaming time.

This is the suck.

# 90 Cryolemon @ 08/14/13 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aholbert32


	How many schools would have to pull out? Lets say Alabama, Notre Dame and USC pull out. But the game allows individuals to replicate those teams through Teambuilder. Meaning people can create uniforms, stadiums and logos for those teams. Would you still not buy the game?

I think it would put some people off. And I suppose the worry would be that if some teams jump everyone will.

As Pastapadre just tweeted:

Bryan Wiedey ‏@pastapadre 3m
With the cover of the NCAA and conferences being lost schools become more exposed to litigation. The writing is on the wall here.

# 91 DC1980 @ 08/14/13 02:09 PM

EA should make a CFL game

# 92 Duece @ 08/14/13 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fballturkey


	Naw. Nobody is buying the new NCAA games every year because of the new sunbelt teams that get added. They're buying due to graphics and gameplay improvements.

OK you have a good point..
But considering the reception of the onfield gameplay of EA's football games tend to be varied year to year. College Football 15 might have very good gameplay, College Football 16's might suck and graphical improvements by EA are usually very minimal. I played NCAA Football 11 this morning and tried the demo intermediately after and most of the improvements were slight at best and only thing really noticeable were the new facemasks, shoes, gloves and uniforms.

# 93 BenGerman @ 08/14/13 02:10 PM

So I guess when we thought the CLC was in control of all of this stuff, we were wrong? By the sounds of it, it seems like any school/conference could just jump of the ship individually.

# 94 MNHuskerman @ 08/14/13 02:12 PM

This is the end for EA College Football. It was a nice ride while it lasted and you will be sorely missed. Now, can we trust EA to turn their full attention and resources to Madden to make it the "King" of all sports games as it should be? I'm calling my shot now, and believe that Madden 15 (or 26) will be the football game to end all football game debates and will put the final nail in the 2K5 coffin. Madden will also ascend to the TOP of the sports game landscape and it will surpass NBA 2K, Fifa and The Show. Now, put that in your pipe and smoke it! The EA Football house will no longer be divided against itself (Madden/NCAA), and the results will be staggering...in a good way.

# 95 Cryolemon @ 08/14/13 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DC1980


	EA should make a CFL game

Would anyone outside Canada (and me and one of my friends lol) actually buy it?

# 96 Dcourtne @ 08/14/13 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNHuskerman


	This is the end for EA College Football. It was a nice ride while it lasted and you will be sorely missed. Now, can we trust EA to turn their full attention and resources to Madden to make it the "King" of all sports games as it should be? I'm calling my shot now, and believe that Madden 15 (or 26) will be the football game to end all football game debates and will put the final nail in the 2K5 coffin. Madden will also ascend to the TOP of the sports game landscape and it will surpass NBA 2K, Fifa and The Show. Now, put that in your pipe and smoke it! The EA Football house will no longer be divided against itself (Madden/NCAA), and the results will be staggering...in a good way.

If Madden had the same quality of online dynasty play, I'd be down with that, even though I'd miss NCAA.

# 97 DC1980 @ 08/14/13 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNHuskerman


	This is the end for EA College Football. It was a nice ride while it lasted and you will be sorely missed. Now, can we trust EA to turn their full attention and resources to Madden to make it the "King" of all sports games as it should be? I'm calling my shot now, and believe that Madden 15 (or 26) will be the football game to end all football game debates and will put the final nail in the 2K5 coffin. Madden will also ascend to the TOP of the sports game landscape and it will surpass NBA 2K, Fifa and The Show. Now, put that in your pipe and smoke it! The EA Football house will no longer be divided against itself (Madden/NCAA), and the results will be staggering...in a good way.

Madden sucks compared to NBA2K, FIFA, and MLB The Show

# 98 aimiami @ 08/14/13 02:26 PM

what a joke. First of all does any base a team likeness off a videogame? Ive never hated a player, school, etc because of how good they were in a video game. This really sucks man. Looks like there might not be a true college football game unless 2k come to the rescue.
Hell, it looks like all college games wont exist... so much for ncaa baseball, basketball, and now football. Just dumb that were getting the shaft.

# 99 The_Gaming_Disciple @ 08/14/13 02:27 PM

Anyone realistically thinking EA will do anything to make Madden/NCAA great games from hence forth are delusional.

These games are geared for casual gamers and kids, not persons seeking to find the true simulation experience of Sunday football.

EA has more than enough resources and talents to make these games great and choose not to.

Game developers are puppets on a string stick and their moves are dictated by the higher ups with grey suits.

Who's ready for some SEGA COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!?

# 100 Scribe1980 @ 08/14/13 02:29 PM

It's over. Playing out as I thought it would. There will be no more college football video games - lawyerin' up. Please understand that legal protection for schools and conferences trumps all. Grab your copy of '14 while you can.

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SEC, Pac-12, Big Ten Won't License Trademarks in Future Video Games