NCAA Football 14 News Post

ESPN: More College Properties Might Not Licensing to EA

01:17 PM - August 21, 2013 by RaychelSnr

ESPN's Kristi Dosh wrote an extensive piece on how much schools make from EA Sports each year while also throwing in a few nuggets about other properties and their status with the game. Among them, one of Dosh's sources claims that he/she has "very serious doubts" about if the Playoff will end up licensing to EA for next year's game.

This doesn't mean, however, there won't be a playoff in the game -- just the official branding and such that goes with it might not be there. The news is the same for Bowl games, as some haven't decided on inclusion yet. So instead of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl you'd get a bowl called the Atlanta Bowl or something like that.

Another thing Dosh pointed out in the article, as have I in the past couple of weeks, that the amount of money most schools make on the EA games is generally less than 5% of their total licensing revenue. Some schools saw their licensing numbers from EA down in the less than 2% range of total licensing revenue. A careful study of these figures, especially for private institutions, would likely give some indications about which schools might be able and willing to discontinue their license with EA Sports in the future.

It is likely schools could end their relationship with EA Sports at any time, as the finances for getting out of a current contract are likely reasonable enough that such a jump would be easy to make, especially if a university feels they may be on the hook for millions from future lawsuits by being involved in future games.So while all but one school appears to be in next year's game -- that doesn't indicate that schools won't jump in the future. Arkansas, Kentucky, and Washington are just three schools which have indicated they are on the fence about participating in future EA Sports games.

Also, while reports were contradictory on the status of the SEC a couple of weeks ago, Dosh clears that up by saying the SEC will appear in one more game to fulfill their current contract with EA. After that, the SEC has decided not to include their marks in the game.

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Member Comments

# 21 Bolt957 @ 08/21/13 06:24 PM

Okay, damn, we get it. There won't be another college football game.

# 22 LastExit @ 08/21/13 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XXstormmXX


	Again, EA will use fake names for any unlicensed content.

The only thing I wonder about this is how this would tie into the O'Bannon lawsuit. Now, EA doesn't model the characters in the game after the players and they don't have names on the jersey or in the commentary but the lawsuit is all about - "Well, that was my team and that was my number so that's me." Whether or not O'Bannon and his cohorts are successful remains to be seen, but if the SEC doesn't want their conference in the game after next year but all the SEC teams decided to stay in then wouldn't the SEC be able to use the same argument that O'Bannon's legal team is using if EA puts together every team in the SEC and calls it the "Southern USA Conference." The SEC could say - "Yeah, the name is different but the teams and the schedules are the same."

# 23 Jimbo614 @ 08/21/13 11:46 PM

Reading Kristi Dosh's Article, particularly the last paragraph;
It sounds to me like the NCAA and EA have already conceded defeat to O Bannion. If EA has agreed to pay SOME players starting next year, that's a concession. I think there's a lot of you still hoping that the cavalry will somehow come charging over the hill.
If some other company or EA took over and created a generic game, (Which I have severe doubts about), or a partial recreation of the Sport, The legalities of the O Bannion Case would be all over them before the first screenshot. "There can be NO representation of College Sports without compensation"
That Cavalry would be more like Custer's Last Stand. And Ed O Bannion's Lawyers would be the Indians.

# 24 jsr862 @ 08/22/13 12:35 AM

Next years game should start by getting rid of some things already, some fans will be upset but in the long run it will be worth it if it is the last game.

example: Conference patches on uniforms, a small detail that needs to be erased. So IF it is the last game we can continue on playing the version without having a team move form one conference to another and still having the old patch for years and years. Or make it like the fields where the patch changes.

They have to think to the future for this game just not that year.

# 25 kehlis @ 08/22/13 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LastExit


	The only thing I wonder about this is how this would tie into the O'Bannon lawsuit. Now, EA doesn't model the characters in the game after the players and they don't have names on the jersey or in the commentary but the lawsuit is all about.

Up until last year players were modeled pretty much exactly to the player they were meant to mirror.

It wasn't just a number and a team that provoked this lawsuit.

# 26 BA2929 @ 08/22/13 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kehlis


	Up until last year players were modeled pretty much exactly to the player they were meant to mirror. It wasn't just a number and a team that provoked this lawsuit.

Exactly. This lawsuit wouldn't be happening if EA had made '1995 UCLA #31' (Eddie O'Bannon) a 6'1" 178lbs white guy.

# 27 Neverwhere @ 08/22/13 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laxman490


	nike would never go through the trouble on creating 100+ random uniforms for a video game. you say that now, but go play PES before it had any licenses.

Nike doesn't create the uniform assets used in game. Those are created by either hi-res image capturing or going off of a photo by EA. Nike just says "Yes, you can use this uniform and our branding" or "No, you can't use that uniform and our branding".

# 28 Cryolemon @ 08/23/13 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo614


	Reading Kristi Dosh's Article, particularly the last paragraph; It sounds to me like the NCAA and EA have already conceded defeat to O Bannion. If EA has agreed to pay SOME players starting next year, that's a concession. I think there's a lot of you still hoping that the cavalry will somehow come charging over the hill. If some other company or EA took over and created a generic game, (Which I have severe doubts about), or a partial recreation of the Sport, The legalities of the O Bannion Case would be all over them before the first screenshot. "There can be NO representation of College Sports without compensation" That Cavalry would be more like Custer's Last Stand. And Ed O Bannion's Lawyers would be the Indians.

I can see that being the outcome if O'Bannon et al win.

# 29 BadAssHskr @ 08/23/13 01:56 PM

my curiosity lies with the average gamer. the guys on facebook and twitter, the average people making up the masses, the casual fan.

how aware of the situation at hand are they? i just wonder how wide spread this case actually is, and what the overall feeling is.

i know what we think on OS, but we are what, 1%?

# 30 TCFClemson @ 08/23/13 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadAssHskr


	my curiosity lies with the average gamer. the guys on facebook and twitter, the average people making up the masses, the casual fan. how aware of the situation at hand are they? i just wonder how wide spread this case actually is, and what the overall feeling is. i know what we think on OS, but we are what, 1%?

OS is def the 1% but a good number of my friends have been following this story.

# 31 Clemsonpanther @ 08/23/13 04:20 PM

Like if you agree that OBannon is a total jerk.

# 32 LastExit @ 08/23/13 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kehlis


	Up until last year players were modeled pretty much exactly to the player they were meant to mirror. It wasn't just a number and a team that provoked this lawsuit.

Well, I meant an actual physical likeness as O'Bannon is claiming. I know they were accurate in the roster description but as far as the actual animated character they are pretty generic. I guess it all depends on how the jury finds the "hey, that's me" argument but I think given the circumstances O'Bannon and the others have a good case. EA will be able to show some randomness that didn't match reality (WVU's Tayvon Austin, for example, had dreadlocks in the game while in real life he didn't) so there's some hope for them at least.

# 33 kehlis @ 08/23/13 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LastExit


	Well, I meant an actual physical likeness as O'Bannon is claiming. I know they were accurate in the roster description but as far as the actual animated character they are pretty generic. I guess it all depends on how the jury finds the "hey, that's me" argument but I think given the circumstances O'Bannon and the others have a good case. EA will be able to show some randomness that didn't match reality (WVU's Tayvon Austin, for example, had dreadlocks in the game while in real life he didn't) so there's some hope for them at least.

You are thinking too recent.

In OBannons time frame physical likeness aside from height and weight were all pretty generic. The case is pretty shut and closed. It's clear they were using his likeness in their games.

# 34 LastExit @ 08/23/13 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsr862


	Next years game should start by getting rid of some things already, some fans will be upset but in the long run it will be worth it if it is the last game. example: Conference patches on uniforms, a small detail that needs to be erased. So IF it is the last game we can continue on playing the version without having a team move form one conference to another and still having the old patch for years and years. Or make it like the fields where the patch changes. They have to think to the future for this game just not that year.

Agreed. Going forward they are going to have to go create random rosters and maybe include a disclaimer similar to the one you see in the credits of movies - "All characters in this product are fictitious. Any similarities to real-life persons are purely coincidental." In the end that may not be enough, but it could calm the fears of the schools out there who are on the fence about continuing to be a part of the game.

Losing rosters that are accurate would be a big loss but it is the lesser of two evils - losing a slew of schools and having to go back to the "University Park" days with generic uniforms and stadiums would be the end of the game.

# 35 LastExit @ 08/23/13 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kehlis


	You are thinking too recent. In OBannons time frame physical likeness aside from height and weight were all pretty generic. The case is pretty shut and closed. It's clear they were using his likeness in their games.

Correct - I'm just thinking of the football series and how it stands today. O'Bannon will probably win his side of the lawsuit but if it becomes a class action suit I don't know how successful they will be with today's game.

# 36 Cryolemon @ 08/25/13 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 12


	Whose to say that you wouldn't do the exact same thing?

I know I wouldn't have.

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