Latest news with #CollegeFootball25
Axios
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
EA's juggernaut "College Football 26" is back
College football is back, digitally at least, with the release of "College Football 26." Why it matters: Last year's game, "CFB 25," rebooted a franchise abandoned roughly a decade ago and still broke multiple sales records, drawing millions of players within its first week. The big picture: "College Football 25" was one of the major ways college athletes benefitted from new rules relates to name, image and likeness, which were adopted by the NCAA in 2021 — leading to the resurrection of EA's college football game. The game gave hundreds of college athletes exposure to millions of gamers, streamers and social media users — as well as celebrities. "CFB 25" was no sleeper from a monetary perspective. Early reports during the game's launch suggested it made $500 million within its first month. And EA said in October 2024 that it generated more than $2 billion in revenue in the prior quarter, mostly on the back of "CFB." 'College Football 26' release time, features It's a no-brainer for EA to bring back the "CFB" franchise. This year's game was first available for early access on Monday, July 7, and launched worldwide Thursday. The Alabama Crimson Tide are ranked No. 1 in the game. What's inside:"CFB 26" smoothed out its gameplay to make it more palatable for its fanbase, and added a slew of in-stadium songs, mascots and celebrations to immerse fans in the world of college football. Developers also added dynamic weather, meaning you'll find some classic fall games in the afternoon glow. And, true to real-life, gamers playing as college athletes can accept NIL deals, giving them increased stats and traits. That's not a shocker since NIL has been a major factor with the video game in the real world. 'CFB 26' and NIL "CFB 26" doubles down on EA's support of college athletes, who are benefitting from deals based around their name, image and likeness. NIL deals — sometimes worth six or seven figures for recognizable college stars — not only help schools recruit players, but they also impact how college athletes view going pro. Arch Manning, the nephew of NFL legend Peyton Manning who features prominently in "CFB 26," is among the highest-paid college athletes from NIL deals. Other top paid gridiron stars include Carson Beck of University of Miami and Jeremiah Smith of The Ohio State University. By the numbers: For last year's game, real-life college players were paid $600 and given a free copy of the game for their NIL use. This year, that number has skyrocketed to $1,500. What they're saying: Scott O'Gallagher, design director for the game, told Sportsbook Review that EA is always watching NIL changes when building their game so it can stay as realistic as possible. "I don't know where it's going to go," he said. "These things are constantly changing. We want to stay ahead, but I can tell you we're looking at making changes, and then a rule changes." Case in point: On July 1, a settlement between the NCAA and college athletes went into effect, allowing colleges to compensate athletes directly, according to ESPN. Previously, players made money from third parties or boosters. Now, it can come from athletic departments directly. Flashback: EA's previous "NCAA Football" series was scrapped in 2013 after former college players sued EA over their right to make money (the case was settled out of court). A Supreme Court ruling in 2020 paved the way for NIL usage and the eventual launch of "CFB 25." EA looks to college basketball next What's next: The success of the "CFB" franchise has led both EA and Take-Two's 2K Games (which previously published games about college sports) to consider a college basketball video game.
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
EA Sports College Football 26 review: Second installment is a massive upgrade
In EA Sports College Football 26, it's been all about improving the product. The next chapter in the EA Sports' college football video game series will be fully released Thursday, July 10 after the early access window started three days prior. After the successful return of the franchise in 2024, EA Sports wanted to build on last year's game, focusing on filling the holes some of the popular features had like dynasty mode while expanding the authenticity of a Saturday in the fall. USA TODAY Sports was able to play the game ahead of the full release and try out all of the different gameplay options. The game has been out three days, but the early impression is College Football 26 has taken a major step forward from the previous game. Is the game perfect? No, but EA Sports really heard the community feedback, and it resulted in an excellent sequel that gives optimism the franchise will just keep getting better and better. EA College Football 26 gameplay It almost feels like an entirely new game when it comes to actually playing football. College Football 25 was a nice introduction back to football video games from an 11-year hiatus. In College Football 26, it's now a completely different ballgame. At first, it's extremely overwhelming to see the overhaul of changes. But over time, it becomes easier to understand. Casual football enjoyers will have to learn deeper game knowledge on things like adjustments and schemes. It's very noticeable how playbooks have expanded, with each team having a plethora of plays to choose from to where you can easily go an entire game without running the same play twice. Being able to sub players in and out at certain points is a big plus since you're not required to continuously pause the game to do so. However, the feature isn't exactly as advertised. It can only be done in the pre-snap when the team is already in formation, so it won't affect the upcoming play and instead will take place in the following snap. It's helpful in managing injuries and the hot hand, but you'd want it for the next play, not the one after. It would've made sense to allow it when selecting a play. Instead, it still requires pausing the game for immediate substitutions. The player movement is much smoother and the animations feel more realistic. Those interceptions from defenders not looking at the ball don't happen, and the offensive line actually blocks with better play recognition at the line of scrimmage. The mixture of user skill and player ratings feel like it matters, as it becomes tougher to make plays with a 70 overall quarterback while it's easy pickings doing it with a signal-caller at 85. The wear-and-tear also has improvements where players aren't getting fatigued so easily. One bug that persisted was getting an injury update after every play, which became annoying and would still appear on the screen in no-huddle, so you couldn't see everything. Also, some injuries that happened wouldn't be in effect. Like a player with a broken collarbone was still playing. Despite some minor issues, the gameplay still is a big step-up. It's hard at first to grasp, but soon enough, people will get a better understanding of football. EA Sports College Football 26 dynasty mode There were only two things dynasty mode needed fixed: trophy and accolades history, and transfer portal revamp. The two issues were addressed and the mode really feels like one of its best iterations. Dynasty mode is the franchise's money maker, and it cashes in big. Gamers can adjust how wild the transfer portal gets, which can get pretty ludicrous depending on the program being run. When deciding to coach a small program, it only took a few years before it became dominant. Now even on the regular sliders, it becomes much more difficult to retain players who want a bigger opportunity at higher-level teams. While it could decimate teams, players now can fully adopt a strategy to focus on high school recruiting or the transfer portal to make up the roster, much like real life. One element that would make the transfer portal better is seeing the stats of players rather than just ratings, so users can get a sense of who they are really seeking. Imagine knowing a guy that tore up the Sun Belt could join your ACC team? The mode that benefited most from actual coaches in the game is dynasty. Going against the sport's coaches adds another layer of realism that last year's game heavily lacked. Now, teams really adopt the persona of their coach, whether it's aggressive decision making or run the ball approach. The coaching carousel can also be just insane as the transfer portal, with big name coaches unexpectedly taking other jobs. EA Sports College Football 26 Road to Glory If there was one mode that needed to be upgraded, it was road to glory after it missed out on the high school experience last year. It got added in this year's game, but it isn't close to being as good as the NCAA Football series had it. The moments make for a good challenge into boosting your recruiting stock, but it really takes away from having an authentic recruitment. Players shouldn't get punished if they throw an 80-yard touchdown, but the challenge required a quarterback run for the score. It makes sense EA Sports was trying to speed along the high school process so gamers weren't stuck playing for hours before making it to college, but maybe chose the wrong process to do it. Having players complete certain drives and get graded for how it went would have been a better process to boost your stock, just like how high school athletes actually do. And then there's the ever so controversial equipment topic. The fanbase feels almost split in whether the amount of player customization falls short or doesn't matter. Both sides of the crowd got points with this. There are more things to change the look of a player with new arm sleeves, but there are also elements missing like leg sleeves. Is it a big deal? It shouldn't be, but EA Sports should eventually tackle the issue. But for all the things falling short in the mode, the recruiting process itself is a nice touch. Hearing from coaches about their thoughts on you, seeing schools offer and pull scholarships and gauging who is the right fit is an authentic process. Getting to see what other recruits the school is targeting increases the intrigue in the process, culminating with the iconic hat ceremony every football player dreams of doing. Other notes College football is a tradition-rich sport, and after every school had their own quirks in the previous game, it feels much more enhanced this year. The audio is greatly enhanced to where fight songs sound clearer and the crowd is louder, feeling like you're at the stadium. The game presentation and graphics got massively upgraded, giving the big game feel to those high-stake matchups. The commentary feels more sequenced and the conversations discussed about the teams, the last game and season performance help it not feel so robotic. EA Sports deserves credit for listening to feedback from College Football 25, something production director Christian McLeod previously told USA TODAY Sports the team spends plenty of time doing. It's noticeable, as last year's issues were not just addressed, but greatly improved to where it wouldn't be a consistent issue. People often argue sequels aren't better than the original. That isn't the case with EA Sports College Football 26, giving its loyal fanbase another stellar game to play.
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
EA Sports College Football 26 toughest stadiums rankings: Stats don't add up
You won't find much fighting among college football fans if they are told they has the best environment in North American sports. It's who has the toughest one where the punches are thrown. In one of the most argumentative-driven sports, perhaps nothing gets the blood boiling − other than playoff rankings − than trying to determine which stadium is the class of college football, and hardest to play in. Home field advantage is what makes college football great. Crazed student sections, packed stadiums in football cathedrals with more than 100,000 people partaking in traditions while ensuring their team has the best possible chance to win, no matter the opposition. EA Sports tasks itself with trying to determine the top 25 toughest stadiums to play in for its annual video game. For College Football 26, EA Sports gave the top honors to LSU's Tiger Stadium, with Beaver Stadium (Penn State), Ohio Stadium (Ohio State), Sanford Stadium (Georgia) and Bryant-Denny Stadium (Alabama) rounding out the top five. EA Sports College Football 26: See full rankings of toughest places to play Is there a consensus agreement on it? Not even close. The social media replies to EA Sports' account are filled with people questioning the rankings, wondering how could it come to such a conclusion. Even Florida's Swamp, ranked seventh, and Tennessee's Neyland Stadium, ranked 12th. They certainly have a point. There isn't a correct or wrong way to determine the rankings, but there are statistics that back it up or disprove it. So, which stadium really is the toughest to be in? How does EA Sports determine toughest stadiums? What's certain in the top 25 rankings is the stadium size and attendance. The nine biggest stadiums in the country are on the list, and 20 of the 26 largest college football stadiums by capacity made it. National success is also consistent with 27 of the past 29 national champions on it, which plays a role in the EA Sports rankings. Ahead of College Football 25, EA Sports said there are several factors that are considered in the rankings, but more notable ones are home winning percentage, home game attendance, active home winning streaks and team prestige, among other factors. USA TODAY Sports reached out to EA Sports did n for more information into this year's rankings. Home stadium success After stadium size, a great starting point would be a team's history at home. Sixteen of the 25 teams with the best home winning percentage since 2004 made the rankings. Ohio State has the highest figure at a 91.6% win percentage (141-13) in that timeframe. In the top eight, only Boise State (89.2%) didn't make it. In it are: Meanwhile, the worst top 25 team on the list is Mississippi State. Their 58.2% win percentage (82-59) is 90th. Comparing 2024 rankings to 2025 Another way it could be looked is what last year's rankings and how it affected the 2025 edition. In College Football 25, Texas A&M had the top spot, followed by Alabama, LSU, Ohio State and Georgia. Texas A&M went 5-2 at home, with two top 10 victories and two close losses to Notre Dame and Texas. Yet the Aggies dropped to No. 11 this year, the biggest fall in the rankings. Meanwhile, LSU rose from third to first after a 6-1 home record. However, that included the laugher against Alabama, when the Crimson Tide beat the Tigers so bad the stadium was emptying out early in the fourth quarter. At the top, plenty of cases could be made for who should be where. There were moves that made sense. After the abysmal season, Florida State went ninth to 14th with a 2-5 home record, and Wisconsin's 3-4 mark dropped it from seventh to 15th. Washington joined the party at No. 18 following a 6-0 mark at Husky Stadium. Yet there were head-scratching decisions. Five teams on the list had perfect home records, but arguably the most questionable move is Alabama. It went from 7-0 at home in 2024, including wins over Georgia and Missouri, but went from second to fifth. Plus, Oklahoma State jumped into the rankings at No. 23, even though it went 2-4 at home with the wins against South Dakota State and Arkansas. Meanwhile, Boise State continued its blue turf dominance with a 7-0 record, yet completely fell out. In total, there are six teams − Auburn, Utah, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State and Florida State − that were .500 or worse at home in 2024 and still in the rankings. All dropped spots except for the Cowboys. Margin of victory Winning at home is necessary, but what really determines the strength of the home field advantage is how a team does it. When it comes to crushing teams, no one on the list did it better than Tennessee. Not only did the Volunteers go 7-0 at home, but they won by an average of 33.6 points at Neyland Stadium, second-best in the country behind Indiana. How was Tennessee rewarded? Moving up just one spot to No. 12. Sure, the Volunteers have won just 67.6% (100-48) of their home games since 2004, but it's coming off a dominant season in Rocky Top. Eight teams − Tennessee, Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Penn State, Notre Dame, Georgia and Iowa − won by an average of at least 20 points at home, showing how they mostly dominated opponents. Four are in the top five, yet Iowa (19th) only moved up one spot, and Notre Dame (21st) didn't move at all. No. 1 LSU's average margin was 10.4, 18th-best on the list. The Tigers were winning, but "Death Valley" wasn't a terror. At No. 14, Florida State had a -6.3 average margin, the worst on the list, yet it's ahead of eight teams that were positive, including the Hawkeyes and Fighting Irish. Oklahoma State (-4), Mississippi State (-4.1) and Michigan State (-4.3) were the others with a negative margin. Did EA Sports get stadium rankings right? It's anyone's guess how EA Sports made its rankings, but it's safe to say they aren't the end-all-be-all list. Based on these determinations, Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon, Texas should have been ranked higher, while LSU likely shouldn't have the top spot. Teams like Florida State, Auburn and Utah should've seen more dramatic drops than Texas A&M. The cowbells can be tough to play in, but it's evident Mississippi State shouldn't be on a list where the only wins with against Eastern Kentucky and Massachusetts. North Carolina State's admission is questionable but Oklahoma State had zero business moving into the top 25, resulting in Boise State being wrongfully punished. Of course, these opinions won't be correct to everyone. Determining the toughest − not the best − stadium isn't an easy task, but there's data that certainly backs it up. Think your team deserves to be higher? Then show up, be raucous and hope your team wins, and wins by a lot.
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
EA Sports College Football 26 features an incomplete Colorado squad
College football fans and gamers flocked to EA Sports College Football 25 as the game returned to shelves after an extended absence from the video game scene. The anticipation is much of the same for College Football 26, which became available for early access on Monday. However, for Colorado fans hoping to step into the virtual shoes of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, there's some disappointment waiting when you open up a new dynasty save. Coach Prime, one of the sport's most high-profile figures, is among a group of 12 FBS head coaches who declined to have their likenesses included in this year's game. Instead of Sanders pacing Folsom Field in his signature shades, Colorado fans will be greeted by a computer-generated coach named "Kirk Patrick" calling plays for the Buffs. Sanders is not alone with his decision to opt out of the game. Other notable coaches absent from the sidelines include Miami's Mario Cristobal, Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, Stanford's Frank Reich, UAB's Trent Dilfer and Utah State's Bronco Mendenhall. It is not at all surprising to see Sanders sit out. Known for doing things his own way, Coach Prime has previously been selective about licensing deals, preferring to control his brand tightly. While he remains a central figure in college football's cultural conversation, his absence in College Football 26 is disappointing, albeit unsurprising. In real life, Colorado and Sanders are hoping to replicate a 9-4 season that saw them finish tied for first in the Big 12 with a 7-2 conference record. Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads, and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
EA Sports College Football 26 reveals best teams: Where do Alabama Crimson Tide rank?
Here's one you may not have seen coming. The Alabama Crimson Tide will be the best team to play with when EA Sports' College Football 26 is released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S gaming consoles in July. The video game franchise, now in its second year after its extremely successful relaunch last summer, unveiled its individual team ratings on Friday as more details about this year's game trickle in closer to its release date. Advertisement Alabama topped the list at No. 1. The Crimson Tide's 89 overall rating edged the Texas Longhorns at No. 2, defending national champion Ohio State at No. 3, Penn State at No. 4, and Notre Dame at No. 5. The four schools behind Alabama -- plus Nos. 6-8 Georgia, Clemson, and Texas A&M -- all have an 88 overall rating. Alabama has the top overall defense in College Football 26 with a 96 rating, while its offense is No. 7 overall with an 89 rating. RELATED: College Football 26 'Toughest Places to Play' revealed Last year's rankings saw Georgia as the top team to play with in College Football 25, while Alabama was ranked No. 4. The Crimson Tide also had the No. 4 overall defense with Ohio State at No. 1. Alabama's offense was ranked No. 3 behind Georgia at No. 1 and Oregon at No. 2. Advertisement Here's a full look at the top 25 overall teams and offensive/defensive units in College Football 26. EA Sports' College Football 26 overall team ratings Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Zabien Brown (2) and linebacker Que Robinson (34) celebrate after an interception against the Georgia Bulldogs in the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Will McLelland-Imagn Images Rank Team Rating 1. Alabama 89 2. Texas 88 3. Ohio State 88 4. Penn State 88 5. Notre Dame 88 6. Georgia 88 7. Clemson 88 8. Texas A&M 88 9. Oregon 86 10. LSU 86 11. Miami 86 12. Florida 86 13. Texas Tech 86 14. Arizona State 85 15. Michigan 85 16. Ole Miss 85 17. Oklahoma 85 18. Indiana 85 19. SMU 84 20. Tennessee 84 21. Missouri 84 22. Auburn 84 23. Duke 84 24. South Carolina 82 25. Illinois 82 EA Sports College Football 26 best offenses Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) takes the field before the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Playoff First Round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Rank Team Rating 1. Texas 91 2. Penn State 91 3. Ohio State 91 4. Arizona State 91 5. Clemson 89 6. LSU 89 7. Alabama 89 8. Notre Dame 89 9. Florida 89 10. Miami 89 11. Indiana 89 12. Texas A&M 89 13. Georgia 87 14. Oklahoma 87 15. SMU 87 16. BYU 87 17. Baylor 87 18. Texas Tech 87 19. Oregon 85 20. Ole Miss 85 21. USC 85 22. Boise State 85 23. Iowa State 85 24. Nebraska 85 25. South Carolina 85 EA Sports College Football 26 best defense Nov 30, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Tim Keenan III (96) hits Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne (1) for a loss during the second half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama won 28-14. Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images Rank Team Rating 1. Alabama 96 2. Texas 94 3. Penn State 94 4. Georgia 92 5. Ohio State 92 6. Michigan 92 7. Oregon 92 8. LSU 92 9. Texas Tech 92 10. Clemson 90 11. Notre Dame 90 12. Texas A&M 90 13. Tennessee 88 14. Indiana 88 15. Miami 88 16. Duke 88 17. Oklahoma 88 18. Illinois 86 19. Kansas State 86 20. Ole Miss 86 21. Pitt 86 22. South Carolina 84 23. Arizona State 84 24. Iowa 84 25. Florida 84 Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama, Texas, Ohio State are best teams in College Football 26
