28-04-2025
Arch Manning, Steve Sarkisian opt out of EA Sports CFB 26 cover shoot at the Rose Bowl
Arch Manning, Steve Sarkisian opt out of EA Sports CFB 26 cover shoot at the Rose Bowl
Last year, the Texas Longhorns were prominently featured on the cover of the new EA College Football 25. That will not be the case this season and it is UT's decision. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and starting quarterback Arch Manning have opted out of the EA College Football 26 photo shoot at the Rose Bowl.
Steve Sarkisian shared that he and QB Arch Manning chose not go to the photoshoot for the cover of EA Sports College Football 26 at The Rose Bowl. That comes a year after QB Quinn Ewers made the '25 cover alongside Colorado's Travis Hunter and Michigan's Donovan Edwards.
Sark didn't give any reason why the program chose to decline the invitation to Pasadena.
About a month and a half ago, the cover of the deluxe edition of the game leaked online. The cover features ten players, several coaches (including Georgia's Kirby Smart and Ohio State's Ryan Day) and several mascots and former players in the stands.
There are reports that the game will feature several covers, including a regular cover, a deluxe cover, a coaches cover and a legend cover.
Last season, EA paid each athlete in the game a flat $600 payment and a copy of the game for allowing the NIL to be used. But when the game came out, Manning decided not to opt in and wasn't in the game at all. It was a wise power play by the Manning camp. After what some behind the scenes negotiation, EA announced Manning would indeed be included in the game and was paid between $50,000 and $60,000.
Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinion.
