NCAA Football 14 News Post

EA Sports Will Not Publish College Football Game Next Year, Future Plans in Doubt

05:23 PM - September 26, 2013 by FloorGeneral

Here is the official statement from EA Sports:

Quote:


	"Today I am sad to announce that we will not be publishing a new college football game next year, and we are evaluating our plan for the future of the franchise. This is as profoundly disappointing to the people who make this game as I expect it will be for the millions who enjoy playing it each year. I�d like to explain a couple of the factors that brought us to this decision. We have been stuck in the middle of a dispute between the NCAA and student-athletes who seek compensation for playing college football. Just like companies that broadcast college games and those that provide equipment and apparel, we follow rules that are set by the NCAA � but those rules are being challenged by some student-athletes. For our part, we are working to settle the lawsuits with the student-athletes. Meanwhile, the NCAA and a number of conferences have withdrawn their support of our game. The ongoing legal issues combined with increased questions surrounding schools and conferences have left us in a difficult position � one that challenges our ability to deliver an authentic sports experience, which is the very foundation of EA SPORTS games. At EA SPORTS, college football has always been a labor of love, and it is unfortunate that these business and legal issues have impacted our ability to make next year�s game. This franchise has been developed by a team that is deeply committed to the tradition and culture of this sport � that�s why fans have always loved it. We are working to retain the talented people who are part of the team by placing them elsewhere within the EA SPORTS organization. In the meantime, we will continue to be connected and engaged with our fans who are playing EA SPORTS NCAA Football. Our decision does not affect our commitment to NCAA Football 14 and the consumers who love playing the game."

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

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Member Comments

# 381 da ThRONe @ 09/28/13 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NCoffey


	If you knowingly allow boosters to pay players then the programs with the most money will get the top recruits and it will hurt football as a whole as far as competition is concerned.

So explain to me how this is different from the current format?

# 382 da ThRONe @ 09/28/13 01:37 PM

I really don't understand the logic behind preventing boosters from giving compensation to SAs directly based on what could potentially happen with no research done.

For all we know it could all but eliminate the majority of the violations. History shows legalization usually results in less corruption.

# 383 Krytical1982 @ 09/28/13 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyyMon87


	Lucky you who can get this game, i was having high hopes to finally get to play NCAA Football in the future, XBox One being region free and all. No reason for me to buy new box then. Damn you EA, why you didn't release 14 in Europe :/

Get a ps4 , wait for next gen ncaa or atleast Gaikai will start. I know how you feel.

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# 384 nc0ffey @ 09/28/13 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da ThRONe


	So explain to me how this is different from the current format?

Because it is not allowed. I know teams do it and get away with it, but believe it or not there are programs who do not do it. If you allow all schools to do it, those with deeper pockets will run the show. Its a pretty simple concept really. It might be happening now behind closed doors, but allowing it out in the open is a whole new beast.

# 385 Forestman @ 09/28/13 02:56 PM

Could this happen to Madden?

# 386 mestevo @ 09/28/13 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krytical1982


	Get a ps4 , wait for next gen ncaa or atleast Gaikai will start. I know how you feel. Gesendet von meinem GT-I9505 mit Tapatalk 2

No reason to expect old sports titles on this service.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forestman


	Could this happen to Madden?

Wishful thinking at best. These exact circumstances? Absolutely not.

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# 387 Kaiser Wilhelm @ 09/28/13 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedSoxFox7


	Enough with the Title IX, it has nothing to do with this.

Except it has everything to do with it. The only two profitable collegiate sports are both Men's sports. There is no way any collegiate institution will ever be able to pay student athletes legally, without bankrupting themselves. Well, that or they get some TV deals for cross country.

The players marketing themselves is a bit different. That becomes a matter of protecting the integrity of collegiate sports. What constitutes marketing? How do boosters play into this?

I'm no fan of the NCAA, as it is a truly corrupt institution, but I like the ideas they use as rhetoric. If the NCAA were truly interested in what they want, they'd cancel the TV deals.

I'm curious, do any of the players in this suit come from the academies, particularly Army or Navy?

# 388 ainokmw @ 09/28/13 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forestman


	Could this happen to Madden?

Yes and No.

Nothing catastrophic like this, though.

EA is licensed to use NFL teams/logos and NFL players. The issue is that EA is only licensed to use NCAA teams/logos, but the NCAA players are not a registered body that can allow EA to use their likenesses. The NCAA and EA have been dancing a fine line by having player numbers, heights, weights, hometowns, etc. but not actually using player names. For example, DE #7 from South Carolina is suspiciously like Jadaveon Clowney, even though it doesn't have his name. Former players say the NCAA is using their likeness without consent (or, more importantly, compensation) thus the lawsuit by former players.

In the NFL, players likenesses are controlled by the NFLPA, the Players Association (the players union), who grant EA the license to use the likenesses of players in exchange for money, which is doled out to the players. The NFL doesn't control this, but they do control the licensing of NFL teams and logos.

As of now, EA has licensing with the NFL and the NFLPA. There is a situation where EA could lose one or both, in which case they couldn't make an NFL Madden game.

The real tricky situation that came about with the exclusive licenses in 2005 is what happens if EA negotiates with the NFL for exclusive NFL license, but 2K Sports (or someone else) negotiates with the NFLPA for the players likenesses. Then you could have a situation where EA can make a Madden game with made-up players, and 2K Sports (or someone else) could make a game with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, but playing for made-up teams.

This often happened in the old days. The classic Tecmo Bowl game only had the NFLPA license, which is why Thurman Thomas would spike the ball for a "fictional" Buffalo football team.

# 389 BDawg35 @ 09/28/13 03:19 PM

NCAA release day used to be a national holiday for me. Not as much in recent years, more due to life changes, but I still always look forward to the new game. I'm getting really good games in my dynasty in NCAA '14, so this will be a pretty good version to keep playing for the foreseeable future until (or if) a new version is made.

I would hope EA continues to provide support to this year's version, as I'm sure many of us will be playing it for years to come.

# 390 statum71 @ 09/28/13 04:06 PM

I wonder would we be here if Ed O'Bannon and Sam Keller had made it in the pros.

Yes, I know O'Bannon had a short career with the Nets. But I'm talking about making it "for real."

# 391 SgtSwagnificent @ 09/28/13 04:32 PM

Wonder what this means for the future of Team Builder. Such a great feature, and I'm thinking the NFL won't allow it in Madden since they seem to refuse to add it in after 4 or 5 years. I'm so sick of everything getting ruined over money.

# 392 SgtSwagnificent @ 09/28/13 04:34 PM

# 393 GoDevils95 @ 09/28/13 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da ThRONe


	I'll just focus on this part. At what point are we going to hold the people who actually made millions of dollars on these young men likeness accountable? There is a reason why EA settle this suit and it's not because EA just enjoy handing money out. They where well aware of what was taking place. We should applaud the fact that this injustice has been corrected. At a point I loved EA's NCAA and was optimistic that moving over to next gen that EA would be able to get NCAA Football up to my standard. So I feel some sense of a loss, but IMO this settlement means more big picture than me enjoying a video game.

All these athletes did was destroy something very, very cool for minimal gain. They also didn't benefit from this NCAA football game? It increased the sport's popularity / increased their personal popularity = and thus this drove up interest in everything they decided to go to college and play sports for. The NCAA set up everything. Yet the players are suing and destroying this game.... why? Because they can.

EA settled b/c they were technically "wrong". It was a biz decision to settle instead of fighting. They were wrong....but how did EA exploit athlete's? The athlete signed up for this. Now that NCAA football vid game will be gone in the future....how will this help the athlete? It won't. It just basically said...."if I can't make money off of myself....nobody can". How did this help the athlete? They're aren't getting paid. EVER. They just killed something awesome. F*ck Sam Keller and Ed O'Bannon. Total punks.

# 394 GoDevils95 @ 09/28/13 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mouse


	yeah society is really going to the pits because some athlete won't let me use his likeness in a video game without being compensated for it.

The mentality of the supporting members of the lawsuit is that if they can't get theirs.....nobody else will. What's next??? Should cows starting filing lawsuits against dairy farmers? Should fish against fishermen? Where do we draw the line? You're exploited the moment you're born into this world.....until you get old enough / smart enough / and experienced enough to do the exploiting. That's the American way. It's called "capitalism". The NCAA will NEVER pay it's athletes. NEVER. If they did....the player would then be considered an employee of the university. Game changer. Universities will drop their athletic programs before they ever pay players. It's the reality. This lawsuit will not further the cause for the players. It simply killed something b/c it could. I don't think anybody ever thought the players would do this b/c it didn't gain them anything. Well....I guess a few hundred bucks each. Big deal. The consumer lost as much as EA did. College football lost out. Younger kids will follow the sport less. The dumb athletes of yesterday just really hurt their sport. Part of me would love to see CFB fans turn their back on the sport.....much like they have towards boxing / horse racing / and NHL. Send all these people a reality check.

# 395 tessl @ 09/28/13 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoDevils95


	The mentality of the supporting members of the lawsuit is that if they can't get theirs.....nobody else will. What's next??? Should cows starting filing lawsuits against dairy farmers? Should fish against fishermen? Where do we draw the line? You're exploited the moment you're born into this world.....until you get old enough / smart enough / and experienced enough to do the exploiting. That's the American way. It's called "capitalism". The NCAA will NEVER pay it's athletes. NEVER. If they did....the player would then be considered an employee of the university. Game changer. Universities will drop their athletic programs before they ever pay players. It's the reality. This lawsuit will not further the cause for the players. It simply killed something b/c it could. I don't think anybody ever thought the players would do this b/c it didn't gain them anything. Well....I guess a few hundred bucks each. Big deal. The consumer lost as much as EA did. College football lost out. Younger kids will follow the sport less. The dumb athletes of yesterday just really hurt their sport. Part of me would love to see CFB fans turn their back on the sport.....much like they have towards boxing / horse racing / and NHL. Send all these people a reality check.

At the division 1A athletic director meeting this week the group was unified in opposing any form of paying players. The tax implications of that for athletic departments and the colleges would be potentially devastating.

I was amused when SEC commissioner Slive and some SEC coaches came out in favor of paying players. Could it be the SEC simply wants to make legal what they are already doing under the table?

# 396 bkrich83 @ 09/28/13 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lord_mike


	So, the non-student athlete who has no scholarship, and is already paying an activity fee to subsidize the athletic program, will now have to pay more to subsidize those players more... who's being exploited now? It sure isn't the college athlete.

I do not disagree.

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# 397 bkrich83 @ 09/28/13 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedSoxFox7


	Junking the structure of college athletics? What? No. All the NCAA has to do is allow them to earn money. But not every player has market value. The third string MLB for UMass has little value in terms of merchandising. Johnny Football is worth millions. If EA wants to make another college football game, they can negotiate licensing agreements with the players on their own. A check goes from EA, to every player who wants in. Surely EA isn't going to pay the same for that third stringer from Amherst as they will for the Clowneys, and Manziels, nor should they. If Nike or Adidas want to sell jerseys with a player's name & number, they negotiate with that player. Again, UMass players aren't going to command much compared players on a top 25 team. I'd imagine, with time, a players association of sorts would emerge and handle licensing for every player who opts in. Having a PA would allow the lesser known players to both be represented in things like games, and get compensation for it. You might still see some star players want to negotiate on their own (a la Barry Bonds in MLB), but with the right structure it could easily cover IP licensing/merchandising for all but a handful of players every year.

If this was the case why would ea bother?

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# 398 bkrich83 @ 09/28/13 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ainokmw


	The more I think about it, the less I think it's even an issue. So some oil baron from Texas wants to drop 10k and a new car on some kid for him to play for UT. So what? Who actually gets hurt by this? "Amateurism" as a sports concept is a 19th century invention by the upper classes to preclude the poor from competing in sports they cherished. The reason we hold onto it so dearly is because of the sanctity of history and our support for the status quo. In many ways, amateur athletics is antithetical to the American ideals of hard work and profit. Allow them to make money however they want. Forbid the schools from paying them directly, freeing them from any liability or Title IX issues, and stipulate/reinforce that the students have to report all money gained as income. If the NCAA suspects shady, unregulated dealings, they can try to get the Feds to come down on the suspects for tax evasion. Obviously there will be issues, but it's not like NCAA football has been a paragon of virtue for the last 30 years. As for the game, once the legal hassles are tied up, someone will make a game. They're not just going to leave money on the table. Someone will pick up the license. Quite possibly someone like Sports Interactive who will make a simulation (similar to Football Manager or Out of the Park Baseball).

This is realistic to you? You think this is a good idea? For real?

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# 399 loccdogg26 @ 09/28/13 07:51 PM

Between this franchise (early years-NCAA 06 XBOX) and NCAA Gamebreaker on PS1 and PS2 I had a lot of fun. But hey it is what it is and there is no need to be mad about it.

# 400 Forestman @ 09/28/13 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mestevo


	No reason to expect old sports titles on this service. Wishful thinking at best. These exact circumstances? Absolutely not. Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

I hope Madden wouldn't suffer the same fate and we loose yet another game.

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