EA Sports Shares Encouraging Update on College Football Video Game

'EA Sports College Football' will be released next summer.

By Brian Jones

EA Sports is ready to bring back college football, and it looks like it will happen next year. The BrandR Group (TBG) and OneTeam Partners announced last week they have reached a settlement agreement in a lawsuit regarding EA Sports. In a statement to On3, EA Sports announced that the new game EA Sports College Football is still on track to be released next summer. 

"We are pleased that BrandR has decided to withdraw their claims without any payment from EA," the spokesperson wrote to On3 in an email. "We've been clear from the beginning that this suit had no merit. Our focus continues to be on directly licensing individual college athlete name and likeness rights through an opt-in program that will give college athletes the choice if they want to be in our game. We're pleased to move on from these claims and look forward to delivering EA SPORTS College Football in Summer 2024."  

In June, TBG filed a lawsuit against EA Sports for tortious interference. EA Sports contacted OneTeam Partners to facilitate athletes' likeness for the game, but TBG argued that EA Sports' relationship with OneTeam partners is "causing irreparable harm" to TBG. At that time, TBG said the compensation for student-athletes to appear in the game would be "far below market value." On3 reported that the cash pool for athletes was around $5 million, meaning players would earn $500. 

"This understanding reinforces their shared vision and commitment toward ensuring the protection and maximization of the NIL value of all collegiate athletes," the joint statement between TBG and OneTeam Partners said. In the wake of this settlement, the parties have agreed to adopt a model that both complements their respective core businesses while separating and operating as completely independent companies.

"The BrandR Group and OneTeam Partners have chosen to take this path in the best interest of their organizations, their stakeholders, and most importantly, due to a shared dedication to protecting and promoting the welfare and future prospects of all college athletes. Both organizations firmly believe in the importance of maximizing the value and opportunities available to athletes in the collegiate marketplace."  

The announcement means EA Sports College Football has cleared the NIL obstacles. The last college football game from EA Sports came in 2013 when NCAA Football 14 was released in July of that year. Shortly after the release, EA Sports announced NCAA would not renew its licensing contract with the brand because of an ongoing legal dispute regarding the use of player likeness in games. 

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