College Football Returns to Video Games
NCAA Football 14 will no longer be the last EA college football game, according to an EA news release and a parallel news article for CLC, the current trademark licensing representative for over 100 colleges and institutions. Older gamers may remember when following characters with from NCAA Football into Madden. It was rewarding taking a player from his freshmen year to eventual professional retirement. Those days came to an end 7 years ago with a major class action lawsuit. In some ways the new game will handle players differently than the previous college football titles, and The Load Screen covers what that change might mean.
During 2014, when the decision came in on the class action lawsuit brought by Edward O’Bannon against the NCAA and its partners, it seemed that nonprofessional college sports video games were over for good. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court refusal of O’Bannon V. NCAA in 2016 almost assured the demise, see U.S. Supreme Court Order List (10/03/2016). That ruling to deny certiorari, or the hearing of a case, left the lower courts to adjudicate.
The 2018 verdict in U.S. federal appeals court added specifics for the settlement. EA and its NCAA partners would have to reimburse former college athletes for their Names, Images, and Likenesses (NIL), as stated in the Memorandum No. 16-15803 of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The plaintiffs did not win on all counts and further appeals were made. Beginning the woes for college football and collegiate athletics within video games in U.S. courts.
The success spawned other lawsuits that were gathered into one case to eliminate confusion. Unlike in 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case National Collegiate Athletic Association V. Alston, which could override any standing on collegiate athletes and pay. According to the Supreme Court docket for No. 20-512, briefings have been filed but no decision has been made yet, which could mean months to years before the final results are compromised between deeply entrenched parties.
While the standing verdict and subsequent case actions have stalled college football in video games, it can live on with some changes. The EA news release stated that, “this new college game will not include student-athlete names, images, and likenesses,” but with the CLC partnership they will offer other features. This includes the college gameday experience from over 100 universities that will be faithfully recreated with stadiums, uniforms, logos and more. The EA statement means that the current rosters of any college will not be physically represented. This leaves fans of specific players waiting until the athlete makes the NFL, before playing them in Madden.
There is no set date for the new EA college football game, and what systems the title will support. The open schedule frees developers to get all aspects of the game right. Without the worries of matching likenesses or poses for players, the designers can focus on the gameplay and hopefully provide a college experience that is not just a rebranded Madden. By offering their title this way, EA and CLC can produce and develop a college football game avoiding litigation that is not completed the appeals process in the U.S. Supreme Court.
