2K Sports reportedly developing standalone College Basketball Game featuring 100+ teams – Fenix Bazaar

The battle for the virtual hardwood is heating up, and this time it’s college hoops at center court. According to a report from Sports Business Journal, 2K Sports is actively planning a standalone college basketball game, one that could rival EA’s upcoming offering and potentially reignite one of the most passionate fan bases in sports gaming.

College Basketball is back, with a new contender

It’s been a long time since fans had a proper college basketball simulation, and while EA is already set to re-enter the space with a licensed game starting in 2028, 2K appears ready to beat them to the buzzer. Jason Wilson of SBJ reports that 2K has its sights set on a separate game that includes more than 100 men’s and women’s teams, all compensated using a “fair market value for their NIL” — signalling a modern, player-focused approach to licensing.

This isn’t just speculative noise, either. Plans from 2K and parent company Take-Two Interactive first came into light via a proposal to the College Licensing Company (CLC), which initially floated the idea of adding a college basketball mode as downloadable content (DLC) to NBA 2K titles. The idea: test the waters, then expand to a full game based on how well the DLC performs.

2K’s full-court Press: Behind the scenes

The CLC, however, eventually leaned towards EA’s pitch, pushing their proposal forward to schools and conferences. That didn’t stop 2K. According to Matt Brown of Extra Points, 2K has been directly contacting schools to delay finalizing the EA deal while it preps a new plan for its own full-fledged entry. That plan likely includes the 100+ team proposal mentioned in Wilson’s article.

Insiders familiar with 2K’s approach say the company is confident it can develop the game faster than EA, largely thanks to the robust engine powering the NBA 2K series. While EA’s proposed game won’t drop until 2028, industry sources say 2K could realistically launch its college game by as early as 2027, assuming licensing hurdles are cleared and development goes smoothly.

The road ahead: A new era or just hype?

Now, a little reality check. Even though the tech and team are in place, launching by 2027 isn’t guaranteed. 2K “could” release the game if things align, but there’s no official commitment just yet. That’s a big “if.” Still, the fact that 2K is actively pursuing licensing and reaching out to schools individually tells us the publisher is serious about more than just testing college hoops in a DLC format: it wants a flagship product.

Interestingly, neither 2K nor Take-Two has officially commented on Wilson’s report, despite outreach from outlets including Insider Gaming. That silence hints that things are still early, or strategically quiet for competitive reasons.

EA vs 2K: A classic rivalry reborn?

Let’s be honest: for fans, this could be a dream scenario. EA and 2K duking it out for simulation supremacy in the college basketball scene brings back memories of the early 2000s, when titles like NCAA March Madness and College Hoops became staples of the genre. Mike Straw of Insider Gaming originally reported on both publishers’ interest back in December, and it seems we’re now seeing the beginnings of a serious rivalry take shape yet again.

At this point, the ball’s in the schools’ court. Licensing is everything, and if 2K can land enough major conference programs and secure athlete NIL usage rights, we could be looking at a potential college basketball renaissance sooner than anyone expected.

Don’t bench your hype yet

While the journey from pitch to playable isn’t easy, 2K’s involvement adds a level of excitement the college basketball gaming scene hasn’t seen in over a decade. Beyond just the sports sim crowd, college basketball brings in passionate fans, bracket-heads, and die-hards who live for March Madness moments.

The return of this genre is long overdue, and now, with 2K showing clear ambition to get on the court sooner than EA, the hype is real.