How the return of college football's video game sparked a YouTube cottage industry
James Bordeaux had put out a series of videos and Twitter posts to narrow down which school he would play as in his first Dynasty Mode rebuild video after the release of the EA Sports College Football 25 video game. His self-started campaign got so much attention that football programs reached out, sending gear and graphics as if he were a prospect. The winner: Nebraska. The resulting video got 1.1 million views.
Advertisement
Many see YouTube as the future of sports consumption. The NFL will broadcast its Chiefs vs. Chargers Week 1 game on YouTube in September. But for younger fans, YouTube is the present. Polling indicates Gen Z spends more time watching highlights than it does live games. Golf has developed a huge presence on the platform.
Before NCAA athletes were allowed to monetize their name, image and likeness, former UCF kicker Donald de la Haye was forced to choose between his YouTube channel and continuing to play college football in 2017. He chose YouTube and now has more than 6.2 million subscribers.
College sports fandom has long been led by old-fashioned booster clubs and message boards that popped up 20 years ago. But YouTube is becoming a new ground for college fandom, especially with the return of EA Sports College Football, and dozens of people like Bordeaux have turned creating videos about the video game into a full-time job, gaining enough influence to impact the game itself.
'It shows how deep people's love for their team is that they were so interested in what a random guy on the internet was going to do, because it could be their team,' he said.
Bordeaux started his YouTube channel four years ago as a high schooler who just wanted to talk about his favorite video game, which he'd been playing since he was 6.
He took viewers on hours-long journeys in previous editions of the NCAA Football video game, like rebuilding Kansas football or creating North Dakota State as an FBS program. His first goal was to make $100 a day from YouTube's creator ad-revenue program.
The channel hit that mark quickly and kept growing, so Bordeaux dropped out of college at Northern Kentucky, moved to Florida and made it his full-time job. He now has more than 476,000 subscribers, and he says he spends 80 hours a week on it during football season alongside a team of three editors, making videos with titles like '5 Years to Rebuild the WORST CFB 25 Team' or 'Can I Win a Title with ONLY Players from Hawaii?'
'It took off so fast that I had no choice but to keep pouring hours into it,' he said. 'I dropped out a few months after starting it, which was risky, looking back on it. Kind of dumb. But it paid off.'
Gaming is massive on YouTube. A recent report from the company stated that 60 percent of the top 1,000 channels on YouTube had uploaded at least one gaming video. The rise of 'Let's Play' videos, where creators film themselves playing and reacting to games, changed the way developers produce games that are customizable and, theoretically, never end.
Advertisement
That applies to sports games, especially the College Football franchise. There's no speed-run to 'beat' the game. With 136 FBS teams and various game modes, YouTube creators have an abundance of quest options.
'You can play Madden and win the Super Bowl, but where do you go after that?' said College Football principal game designer Ben Haumiller, who has spent more than 20 years at EA Sports. 'We have constant roster turnover. You can start at South Alabama and work your way up to Alabama. You can bring the option to Michigan or go rebuild the Pac-12. Things like that, no other game gets to tell.'
There's no one way to go about being a college football video game YouTuber. Former college and NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert (351,000 followers) mixes real and video game football strategy. Another creator, Eric Rayweather (637,000 subscribers), turned football game tutorials into a full-time job.
Rayweather, 37, was a successful Madden player more than a decade ago, winning tournaments and climbing online rankings. As he got older, got married and didn't have as much time to play, he'd look for tips online and didn't find much. So he drew on his skills and began making Madden tutorial videos, such as the best way to beat a Cover 4 defense or how to use glitch plays discovered in the game.
A year into it, he was making more money through YouTube than from his jobs at a paint store and Best Buy, so he made YouTube his full-time job in 2018.
'I had a good bit of money saved up and thought, I've got a year, I could try this out,' said Rayweather, who lives in Louisiana. 'It was scary, because it could've gone the other way. But it grew even more, and I haven't looked back since then.'
Rayweather expanded his tutorials to college football when the game returned and began to lean into news updates. Any leak or announcement that comes out about the next game, he jumps on and makes a new video about it.
Advertisement
Rayweather estimated he spends 12 hours a day on the job at this time of year. That schedule slows a bit after a game comes out, then shrinks to as low as four hours a day when football season ends. Unlike some other creators, he's a one-man operation.
'Right now, it's pedal to the metal,' he said.
For a long time, EA Sports developers were not allowed to engage with the gaming community, typically only speaking with video game journalists. But as the industry changed, YouTubers became influential and trusted voices.
'Back in the day, every reviewing outlet had a dedicated sports person,' Haumiller said. 'Now, they're more freelancers who don't know as much about your game. It's these (YouTubers) pointing things out that we need to do better and know the game just as well as we do.
'The perception of your game these days has a lot to do with the perception from the community.'
EA Sports has leaned in to earn the favor of that community. For years, the company has invited gaming journalists and YouTubers to Orlando to get an early look at Madden and now College Football.
When EA Sports held the secret College Football 26 cover photo shoot at the Rose Bowl, Bordeaux was there to document it for his channel. A week before CFB26 was released, EA Sports enlisted Bordeaux and Rayweather to produce public reveal videos of Dynasty and Gameplay features. Some creators have also created sponsored social media posts for the game, marking them as ads.
As you wait for WWL, get an exclusive look at #CFB26 tonight with your favorite creators.
🎮 @PapaMeagzz at 6pm ET🎮 @EricRayweather at 7pm ET🎮 @bordeauxyoutube at 8pm ET
Available 7/10. Pre-Order Today.🔗 : https://t.co/RPX7WFuP8g pic.twitter.com/TtwyH683zz
— EASPORTSCollege (@EASPORTSCollege) July 2, 2025
'They're advocates, good or bad,' Haumiller said. 'They're also a tutorial for us. You can go on and see these guys doing different ways to recruit in CFB 25 or show great plays to use. They really help us teach the game in a way we aren't able to.'
Some fans have questioned the legitimacy of a review from a creator if EA Sports played a role in facilitating it or paid that creator for previous sponsored posts. Bordeaux recently had a small online feud with another creator, Ryan Moody, whose content is largely negative toward EA Sports. Bordeaux has tried to disclose when EA Sports was involved with a post.
Advertisement
'I do feel bad for these guys, because they do kind of sign up for this additional punishment they get when all they get in return is maybe a code a couple days early,' Haumiller said. 'They're not on the payroll or getting all kinds of insider access.'
Surveys show more kids aspire to be YouTubers or streamers than scientists or astronauts. The rise of entertainers like Logan and Jake Paul or Mr. Beast has shown a new path for younger people that didn't exist even a few years ago.
Bordeaux never imagined how quickly this could become a career.
'Maybe something I did on the side for fun to make a little extra cash,' he said, 'but I didn't think I could ever personally reach the sub or view count I've been blessed to have.'
Rayweather's advice to aspiring YouTubers is to have a plan and stick to it, be knowledgeable and focus on good audio. Bordeaux joined him in emphasizing the importance of consistent posting.
'Anybody can make at least a side living doing any type of creation,' Rayweather said. 'Be informational. Help people. Give them value for something.'
Days before the CFB 26 release, Bordeaux was once again narrowing down finalists for his first dynasty rebuild. Marshall coach Tony Gibson tweeted at him and got the Herd into Bordeaux's top five. Central Michigan coach Matt Drinkall tweeted a photo of Bordeaux on the stadium video board.
I just love the idea of random people that have no idea who I am seeing posts like this from their colleges head football coach and being so confused https://t.co/HT4oNbcaoS
— Bordeaux (@bordeauxyoutube) July 3, 2025
Recruiting never stops in college football, and courting a YouTuber is now as valuable as any other kind of celebrity. The media industry is far from the days when coaches welcomed an airplane full of sportswriters for a promotional tour half a century ago.
The return of the college football video game has put the sport back in front of a generation of new and old fans. But the cascade effect has also created a new collection of influencers — and a lucrative business — on the new frontier of fandom.
(Photo courtesy of Bordeaux)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nik Bonitto returns from bone spur removal and insists that contract talks aren't bogging him down
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — All-Pro outside linebacker Nik Bonitto is back on the field and still unruffled by protracted negotiations on a contract extension. Bonitto practiced Tuesday for the first time since having a bone spur removed from the top of his right foot last week following a spectacular preseason debut. If all goes well, Bonitto will play Saturday at New Orleans in the Broncos' final tune-up for their Sept. 7 opener against the Tennessee Titans. Bonitto played a dozen snaps in the Broncos' 30-9 win at San Francisco on Aug. 9 when he showed once again that a looming contract extension isn't bothering him. He sacked Mac Jones on first down, forced him to step into a sack by John Franklin-Meyers on second down and then forced him into an incompletion to avoid a 25-yard loss on third down. 'He did ruin that whole series,' said 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. 'Bonitto is a hell of a player.' Bonitto came up limping after his 12-snap debut, however, and a few days later he underwent surgery to remove the bone spur. 'It was just a thing that showed up in the 49ers (joint) practice' on Aug. 7, Bonitto said. 'And it was kind of bothering me, bothering me, I was trying to fight through it in the game.' Bonitto said he decided to heed the advice of coach Sean Payton and the Broncos' medical staff and have the bone spur removed during camp rather than deal with it during the season. 'It was just something where we could either keep trying to fight through this throughout the season or have the procedure done and not worry about it,' Bonitto said. Although he appeared to move around well at practice, Bonitto said he's still on the mend. A two-time All-American at Oklahoma and a second-round pick in 2023, Bonitto is in line for a big pay raise after his breakout 2024 season when he helped the Broncos lead the league with 63 sacks and go from 27th in points allowed in 2023 to third last year. Bonitto set career highs with 48 tackles, 24 quarterback hits, 13 1/2 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, three pass breakups, an interception and two defensive touchdowns. He earned a Pro Bowl berth and a second-team All-Pro selection. The Broncos entered training camp with a trio of veterans in line for big contract extensions and they quickly got two of them done. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton signed a four-year, $92 million deal and All-Pro defensive tackle Zach Allen signed a four-year, $102 million extension on Aug. 2. Bonitto is still waiting for his big payday. Negotiations are 'going well,' he said. 'I feel like there's been good communication on both sides. I think it's just my agent (Tory Dandy of CAA Football), I feel like he's one of the best in the game. I feel like I gotta trust what he's doing. And knowing how they feel about me upstairs, I feel like something will get done. It's just a matter of when." Complicating the timeline is the unsigned status of Cincinnati's Trey Hendrickson, last season's sacks leader, and Dallas' Micah Parsons, leaving the edge rusher market still in flux. Bonitto demurred when asked if he preferred to wait for one of those deals to get done, and he said he doesn't necessarily need to sign an extension before the start of the season. 'I mean, at the end of the day I'm still under contract for another year," he said. "So, yeah, I would like to get the contract done, but that's the least of my worries, honestly. I just want to compete for a championship this year, do all the things that we have set out to do as a team and as a defense.' Asked what his goals for 2025 are, Bonitto said, 'We want to have the No. 1 defense and as far as individual, just be better than last year.' ___ AP NFL:
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rodgers, Heyward, Watt and Metcalf will sit out the Steelers' preseason finale
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers' first official snaps with the Pittsburgh Steelers will have to wait until Week 1. Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that the four-time MVP, along with All-Pro defensive tackle Cam Heyward, star outside linebacker T.J. Watt and wide receiver DK Metcalf, will not play against Carolina in Pittsburgh's preseason finale on Thursday. Everyone else on the roster that's healthy, including defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay, running back Jaylen Warren and tight end Pat Freiermuth, could see the field in Carolina. All were part of a sizeable group that watched Pittsburgh's first two exhibitions from the sideline. Yet with more than two weeks to prepare for the opener on the road at the New York Jets, Tomlin sees an opportunity for the majority of his team to knock off some rust before the games start counting. The 41-year-old Rodgers has said throughout training camp that he'd be more than willing to take the field. Tomlin said he's seen enough progress over the last month that there's no need to put Rodgers in harm's way. 'I'm comfortable with what I'm seeing out here, obviously,' Tomlin said. "If I weren't, I'd be playing him.' Asked Tuesday what he wants to see coming out of Carolina, Rodgers repeated the word 'health' multiple times. The decision not to have Rodgers take the field for at least a series during the preseason is an unusual step for Tomlin, who is entering his 19th season with the Steelers. Longtime Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger always saw some level of game action in August, and each of the Week 1 starters since Roethlisberger's January 2022 retirement — Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett and Justin Fields — all made at least a token appearance, if not more, in the preseason. Like that trio, Rodgers is in his first year in Pittsburgh. Unlike that trio, Rodgers is the league's oldest active player and still less than 24 months removed from an Achilles tendon injury that cut short his initial season with the Jets in 2023 after just four snaps. There's a chance Pittsburgh's new-look secondary could play together for the first time against the Panthers. The Steelers added cornerbacks Ramsey and Slay — who have a combined 13 Pro Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl rings between them — in the offseason to join a group that includes Joey Porter Jr. and DeShaun Elliott. The group has been dominant at times during training camp, but save for a joint scrimmage with Tampa Bay last week, has yet to see the field together against an opposing team. That could change on Thursday, though Tomlin indicated plans may change if the Panthers decide to sit quarterback Bryce Young and running back Chuba Hubbard, among others. 'There's a collective component, a communication component, a coordination component to what they do, and if they get the opportunity to get some snaps against some capable people in the stadium, we'd appreciate it,' Tomlin said. While Heyward will not play, he did return to practice on Tuesday for the first time in nearly two weeks. The 35-year-old four-time All-Pro has been in attendance but not participating on the field as he seeks a bump in pay following a bounce-back season in which he collected eight sacks following an injury-marred 2023. Asked if Heyward's familiar No. 97 being on the field signals a shift, Tomlin deferred to Heyward. Heyward went to the trainer's room after practice and did not speak to reporters. ___ AP NFL:
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon eager to keep proving skeptics wrong as he adapts to expanded role
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay's Keisean Nixon has heard the criticism about how the Packers' pass coverage could struggle without departed two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander. Nixon takes those words in stride. He notes that he's been doubted ever since arriving in the NFL in 2019 as an undrafted free agent from South Carolina. Even as he developed into a two-time All-Pro kick returner, Nixon remembered getting labeled as merely a special-teams guy or later as a nickelback. Nixon then played primarily cornerback in 2024 while stepping in for the injured Alexander, who played just seven games last season before getting released in June and eventually signing with the Baltimore Ravens. Alexander's exit means Nixon enters the season as the Packers' likely No. 1 cornerback. He's eager for the opportunity to face an opponent's top receiver each week. 'My confidence level is just through the roof right now,' Nixon said Tuesday. 'It doesn't really matter who's going to be out there. They're going to have to see me just like I've got to see them.' Nixon, 28, took a long road to get to this point. He spent his first three NFL seasons with the Raiders, emerging as a key special-teams performer but never playing more than 15% of the team's defensive snaps in any of those years. Nixon joined the Packers in 2022 while his role on defense gradually expanded. He played 28% of the Packers' defensive snaps in 2022, 73% in 2023 and 94% last season. 'With the Raiders, I wasn't really able to do anything,' Nixon said. 'I literally just sat there for three years, I guess making money just being on the team. They wouldn't trade me or get rid of me, so I was just there. When I finally got to Green Bay, I just kept checking boxes, checking boxes. They asked me to do something, I did it. Gave me another role, I did that. Gave me another role. Now I've got the biggest role they can give me.' Nixon made a career-high 88 tackles last season and was the only NFL defensive back to have at least three sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception. That has the Packers confident he can thrive as a full-time cornerback. 'He's competitive,' defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. 'He can play man coverage, which is important. You have to be able to play man to be on the outside. Because he can run, he can cover, he can change direction, and I like that he'll tackle. He's a physical guy. Teams are going to try to get your corners one-on-one and force them to tackle. And he's going to do that.' Nixon prepared for his expanded role by studying film and paying attention to other cornerbacks. He singled out Washington's Marshon Lattimore and Cleveland's Denzel Ward as two of his favorites because of the way they play man-to-man coverage. After being labeled by his perceived limitations, Nixon is eager to showcase just how well he can handle increased responsibilities. 'I just never let anybody put me in a box,' Nixon said. 'My confidence and my skill level has always been there. I just had to find a role to just get to where I want to go. Everything they've ever asked me to do, I always did it at a high level. That's just what it was. I've always been good at everything I do. That just comes with what God gave me. Now I've got the perfect way to show it on the biggest stage this year.' Nixon also wouldn't mind continuing to show off his ability as a kick returner. After saying at the end of last season that he didn't want to return kicks anymore, Nixon backed off that statement earlier this summer. Nixon said Tuesday he'd welcome the chance to keep returning kicks. 'With the game on the line, I want the ball in my hands, at the end of the day,' Nixon said. 'I don't think nobody can mess with me when I've got the ball in my hands. It's just being a Swiss Army knife, being able to do it. Some of the greats did it: Deion (Sanders), Charles Woodson, stuff like that. I just want to put my name in that hat.' NOTES: Packers coach Matt LaFleur said QB Jordan Love's role in Thursday's joint practice with the Seattle Seahawks would be 'very limited.' Love has been practicing the last two days with his left (non-throwing) hand heavily taped, a week after undergoing thumb surgery. LaFleur said the joint practice could include 7-on-7 workouts to allow Love to participate. … K Brandon McManus served as a surprise side judge in Tuesday's practice. 'Anytime he saw I was trash talking, he threw a flag at me,' Nixon said. 'Bogus.' ___ AP NFL:
