On July 19th, history will be made.
Electronic Arts is set to release its long-awaited college football video game on that day. But on Thursday, two months before the reintroduction of one of the most popular sports games of all time, another historic moment occurred with the reveal of the game's cover.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, and Colorado wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter appear together in uniform on the front of the game's historic return cover. It is depicted large.
“They'll remember all three of us, that we were the first to bring this cover back,” Ewers said.
In a seminal moment in college sports history, both the national and deluxe edition covers of “College Football 25” feature three players by name, image and likeness. These three words of his, further known by their acronym (NIL), are responsible for the original reason for the cancellation of the game. The company last released a game in 2013, after which the series ended due to legal challenges over players' use of NIL, specifically a lawsuit involving former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon.
More than a decade later, the game has made a triumphant comeback with a timely release at a time of impending major changes to the college sports model. In many ways, the change was first sparked by the O'Bannon lawsuit several years ago.
In a virtual group interview with selected reporters, Ewers, Hunter and Edwards denied any talk that authorities offered them the cover spot, talked about their bond during the cover photo shoot, and received compensation from the deal. Described the exciting moment.
“We were more focused on being on the cover,” Hunter said. “We don't care about NIL. It's a dream come true.”
In perhaps the biggest NIL mass offer in history, EA Sports distributed the offer to over 11,000 soccer players, with thousands signing up to attend the match. Each offer is $600 and includes a copy of the game. It is expected that more prominent players will be appointed as EA Sports “ambassadors” and receive more lucrative contracts.
EA Sports provided a preview on Thursday. The cover reveal is just an appetizer for Friday's full game reveal.
The standard and deluxe versions of College Football 25 are currently available for pre-order. Throughout the summer, various elements of the game will be revealed to fans, including Thursday's cover, which happens to feature the Michigan Wolverines.
Although Edwards is five months removed from winning a national championship, he appears on the cover 11 years after another UM graduate, Denard Robinson, last appeared on the cover of The Game.
“Michigan State is known for having players on the cover of games, and to be chosen by EA is a surreal moment, especially as a kid who grew up playing the game,” Edwards said. “My best moment was playing in NCAA 14, and just to have it come back and be on the cover is a great feeling.”
The NCAA Football Game Series began in 1993 under the title “Bill Walsh College Football.” The company's last game, NCAA Football 2014, was released in July 2013. About a week later, the NCAA announced it would not renew its contract with EA Sports as lawsuits over players' use of NIL smoldered.
After more than 10 years, it's back.
“I still play games on the computer. I play in NCAA 14, I play in Road to Glory, and I try to go both ways,” Hunter said. “I got all my siblings to play it on PC. I'm excited to get the updated version and play as myself.”
