Latest news with #EASportsCollegeFootball25
New York Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How the return of college football's video game sparked a YouTube cottage industry
Last summer, one of the most sought-after recruits in college football wasn't a quarterback or a defensive lineman. It was a 21-year-old YouTuber in Kentucky. 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.🔗 : — 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 — 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)
Express Tribune
30-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
EA Sports set to revive college basketball video game franchise with 2028 release target
EA Sports is officially preparing to bring back its college basketball video game franchise, with a planned release date set for 2028, according to a memo obtained by Extra Points. Since the end of EA Sports and 2K's college basketball series over a decade ago—primarily due to licensing complications and weak sales—fans have repeatedly asked when the genre would return. Even as EA confirmed the revival of College Football, industry insiders believed there was little momentum behind a basketball revival. However, that market hesitation has now shifted. The explosive commercial success of EA Sports College Football 25 exceeded revenue projections and appears to have reignited interest among developers. A memo dated June 26, 2025, from the College Licensing Company (CLC) to NCAA conference offices confirms that an official Request for Proposal (RFP) to develop a college basketball title was issued in November 2024. According to the memo, five companies expressed interest, with three submitting formal bids. The CLC recommends that member conferences accept the proposal from EA Sports to revive EA Sports College Basketball, with a targeted release in 2028. While licensing agreements are still being finalized, the selection of EA Sports as the preferred developer signals real progress toward the game's return. The company is expected to start full development soon, pending final approvals from conferences and schools. More details are expected as development progresses and licensing terms are secured.
Indianapolis Star
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
'Bring the Madness': Long-awaited college basketball video game teased by EA Sports
March Madness is returning to a video game console near you. Following the successful return of the college football franchise ― EA Sports College Football 25 ― by EA Sports in the summer of 2024, the company teased the return of the basketball rendition of the video game in a social media post on June 30. "Bring the Madness. Let's run it back," the social media post by EA Sports read. According to Matt Brown of Extra Points, he obtained a memo from the Collegiate Licensing Company, which indicated the game would return for the 2028-29 season, but that has not been confirmed. The game will feature both men's and women's basketball rosters.
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
EA Sports teases about return of college basketball video game after long absence
March Madness is returning to a video game console near you. Following the successful return of the college football franchise ― EA Sports College Football 25 ― by EA Sports in the summer of 2024, the company teased the return of the basketball rendition of the video game in a social media post on June 30. "Bring the Madness. Let's run it back," the social media post by EA Sports read. According to Matt Brown of Extra Points, he obtained a memo from the Collegiate Licensing Company, which indicated the game would return for the 2028-29 season, but that has not been confirmed. REQUIRED READING: NCAA approves increase to 32 game regular-season schedule for college basketball The game will feature both men's and women's basketball rosters. The last installment of the EA College basketball franchise was "NCAA Basketball 10," which was made for the 2009-10 basketball season and was released on Nov. 17, 2008. The 2009 game featured Oklahoma star Blake Griffin on the cover.
USA Today
28-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Clemson's offensive, defensive rankings in EA's College Football 26 revealed
Clemson fans looking forward to EA Sports College Football 25 should have plenty to smile about when they fire up the game. In the latest round of team ratings, EA Sports has Clemson starting the year ranked No. 7 overall with an 88 team rating. That's thanks to a balanced roster that boasts the fifth-best offense in the game (89) and a top-10 defense (No. 10, 90). On top of that, Memorial Stadium will be one of the toughest places to play in the virtual world — EA previously ranked Death Valley as the sixth-hardest environment in the game, giving the Tigers a solid home-field boost when you're trying to protect a lead or swing momentum. Clemson's in-game schedule won't be a cakewalk, either. Right out of the gates, players will face No. 10 LSU, who comes in with an 86 team rating and strong balance themselves — the Tigers from Baton Rouge have the No. 6 offense and No. 8 defense. Other ranked matchups on Clemson's slate include SMU (No. 19 overall, 84 team rating, No. 15 offense), Duke (No. 23 overall, 84, No. 16 defense) and South Carolina (No. 24 overall, 82, No. 25 offense and No. 22 defense). The full Top 25 has Alabama leading the pack at 89 overall, followed by a cluster of contenders like Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame and Georgia — all tied with an 88 overall rating alongside Clemson and Texas A&M. On offense, only Texas, Penn State, Ohio State and Arizona State are rated higher than Clemson's 89. Defensively, only nine teams in the game have a better unit than the Tigers, with Alabama leading that group at a stout 96. All told, Clemson is shaping up to be one of the most well-rounded teams in the game — which should make them an entertaining pick for fans eager to chase a virtual national title this season. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
