Last Updated on July 2, 2025

After more than a decade-long hiatus, college basketball video games appear to be on the verge of a major comeback, thanks to the massive success of EA Sports College Football 25. According to a memo obtained by Extra Points, EA Sports has submitted a proposal to revive its College Basketball video game series, with a tentative release date set for 2028.

The memo, sent on July 26, 2025, by the College Licensing Company (CLC) to conference offices, outlines that a Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued in November 2024. Of the five companies that expressed formal interest, three submitted official bids. CLC is recommending that conferences approve EA Sports’ bid, which includes a comprehensive, standalone simulation game featuring all NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball programs.

EA Sports Emerges as the Leading Bidder

Unlike competing proposals that included college content within broader sports titles or leaned more toward arcade-style action games, EA Sports pledged to build a full-fledged, standalone college basketball simulation featuring every men’s and women’s Division I basketball team.

Their vision would mirror the depth and features of their football game, incorporating modes such as Dynasty, Ultimate Team, Road to Glory, and Team Builder. Following the success of College Football 25, EA Sports plans to capitalize on the momentum of both games and explore opportunities for fans to enjoy both experiences.

As with College Football 25, real athletes would be included in the game via licensing agreements, facilitated through Compass and One Team Partners. The inclusion of real player likenesses and live service content—such as downloadable updates and optional paid add-ons—will expand and enhance the user experience while creating new revenue opportunities for participating institutions.

A New Release Strategy

Although a new college football video game is slated to come out each year according to the current licensing agreement along with other major video game titles supporting professional sports such as NBA2K, EA Sports FC and Madden, EA Sports proposed a more flexible release schedule for College Basketball, departing from the typical annual sports game cycle.

Over a six-year licensing term, the company commits to launching a minimum of three titles, with the option to release up to six. In years without a full new release, EA will offer roster and team updates via downloadable patches, while still paying 50% of the “release year” minimum royalty guarantee (MRG).

This shift acknowledges historical market differences—college football video games have traditionally outsold basketball titles by a 3:1 ratio—and provides an opportunity to test a consumer-preferred model that prioritizes quality over quantity.

There has been no clarification on which platforms would support the potential game.

Addressing the Complexities of Licensing

Unlike college football, where the NCAA is not a central rights holder, basketball poses unique licensing challenges. The NCAA owns key trademarks like “March Madness” and “The NCAA Tournament,” making their inclusion essential for a fully immersive experience.

The memo states EA Sports plans to secure licenses from individual schools, players, conferences, trophies, and the NCAA itself. However, the NCAA will not appear in the game’s title. The working name referenced in the memo is EA Sports College Basketball.

Royalties would mirror the revenue model used in College Football 25, distributing payouts to schools and conferences based on player usage metrics within the game.

What’s Next?

While EA Sports has not yet issued a public announcement, conference officials have been asked to approve the proposal by July 18. This would allow EA to begin collecting the assets necessary for development, putting them on track for a 2028-29 release.

It’s important to note that development timelines are fluid and subject to change. Still, the strength and clarity of EA’s proposal, along with its past success in the college sports space, suggest the return of a college basketball video game is not just possible—it’s likely. EA Sports and CLC have yet to comment on the proposal. 

Georgia football’s hot streak on the recruiting trail appears to have come to an end, but that was to be expected after landing 18 commitments throughout June. But even if there weren’t many recruiting updates on Tuesday, there was still a lot of interesting news that involved Georgia.

Much of this news involved SEC rival Alabama, so let’s begin with a hilarious comment that was said on live TV by their former head coach.

Nick Saban gives Georgia fans a “Go Dawgs”

Even though Alabama isn’t a traditional rival of Georgia’s, it has felt like that over the past decade as the Tide were the team that prevented Georgia from reaching their potential for many years. This caused many Georgia fans to dislike head coach Nick Saban because he routinely beat Georgia while winning countless SEC and National Championships.

Fast forward to today and Saban finds himself as one of the most respected college football analysts the sport has to offer. Saban is often found on live TV talking about college football nowadays, most recently on SportsCenter as he is getting SEC fans ready for their upcoming media days. But at the end of his segment on SportsCenter, the host interviewing him got Saban to give the camera a “Go Dawgs.”

Saban immediately regretted saying this, but it was a hilarious moment that should give Saban some more fans from Georgia.

Georgia announces new NIL partnership

The NIL landscape continues to change in college athletics, and Georgia is attempting to change with it as they have announced a new NIL partner. This partnership is with Learfield who will be tasked with assisting all of Georgia’s student-athletes in finding new NIL opportunities they can take advantage of.

Georgia was already one of the top athletic departments when it came to NIL, and that was seen this past year as UGA had four National Championship winning teams while also finding a lot of success in many other sports as well. And this new partnership with Learfield should help Georgia continue to succeed even more in this new age of college athletics.

Alabama fans name Georgia the SEC’s top program

There is a very real debate that can be had between Georgia and Alabama regarding who the best program in the SEC is. Georgia fans think they deserve that title as the reigning SEC Champion and the last team in the conference to win a national title, but Alabama fans can claim their vast success is still recent enough and Georgia still can’t beat them.

But a few Alabama fans may have settled this debate as they are siding with Georgia and saying they have passed Alabama as the best program in the country. There reasons for this include the recent championships as well as sending more players to the NFL in recent years.

So the next time an Alabama fan tries to claim they are still the better program, be sure to remind them that even some Alabama fans think Georgia is the best team now.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has signed with Adidas, a major move for the sportswear and footwear giant ahead of college football’s 2025 season. Smith registered 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns last season as a five-star true freshman sensation for the national champions, who are a unanimous top five team ahead of the new campaign.

CBS Sports spoke to a source with knowledge of the agreement Wednesday, who acknowledged Smith would still wear Nike with the Buckeyes this season. Ohio State signed a then record-setting 15-year agreement with the Swoosh in 2016 to be the Buckeyes’ official apparel sponsor.

Smith is not tied to the Swoosh despite Ohio State’s relationship with Nike.

“Off the field, Jeremiah will be in Adidas product, along with any brand marketing (spots) and individual social media posts,” the source said.

Smith had multiple offers from various competitors and ultimately chose to represent Adidas moving forward.

The source noted that a similar scenario previously unfolded for current WNBA rookie Hailey Van Lith, who initially transferred from Louisville — an Adidas school — to Nike-sponsored LSU prior to finishing her career last season at TCU last season.

Van Lith’s NIL deal with Adidas carried over to Baton Rouge. She was one of 15 female student-athletes to sign with the brand in 2022.

Smith was a breakout performer in last season’s College Football Playoff, lighting up Tennessee and Oregon with multi-touchdown outings before clinching the national title against Notre Dame with a clicking 56-yard reception in the waning moments.

“One of the most memorable moments from last season was losing my black stripe and officially becoming a Buckeye,” Smith said in a press release. “Fast forward a year and I’m blessed to be adding three, joining the fastest brand in football. It’s crazy to be partnering with a brand that has such a talented roster of players and that I’ve been wearing since I was a young kid. We’re not done yet.” 

Smith told The Athletic of his new deal that being a part of the brand was “something special” as his football career continues to leap forward.

“I’ve been wearing Adidas since I was a young kid, 11, 10 years old,” Smith said.

Smith joins an Adidas portfolio that includes Patrick Mahomes, Travis Hunter and former Ohio State stars Garrett Wilson and Emeka Egbuka. He shattered numerous freshman program records in 2024 and is one of this fall’s Heisman frontrunners.

“We’re building a roster of collegiate athletes that are writing new chapters, creating legacies and shattering records for their programs and universities,” Chris McGuire, adidas vice president of sports marketing, said. “As the face of the next generation of elite football players, Jeremiah has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the game, making him a perfect fit for our roster of athletes.”

College Football

Certified game wreckers @EASPORTSCollege

91 » @John_Mateer4
90 » @THEJAYDNOTT pic.twitter.com/u3EUDDSVO6

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) July 1, 2025

Mel Kiper Jr. was the first-ever guest on The Dari Nowkhah Show.

Kiper spoke on what OU has in Jim Nagy as the General Manager.

“I don’t think there’s a better evaluator of talent out there.” pic.twitter.com/6KBwZNmWFs

— The REF (@KREFsports) July 1, 2025

NEW: EA College Football 26 Top 20 QBs

Do you agree?https://t.co/4kJOkqWN5i pic.twitter.com/kUcSjTkEUL

— On3 (@On3sports) July 1, 2025

If you’re confused about all of this, here’s a story detailing the House revenue-share concept from last month when the settlement was approved – https://t.co/kQ1LWX9GHr

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 1, 2025

With the new rev-share reality now upon us, here’s a detailed projection of how schools are expected to pay athletes, both in 2025-26 and the years to come.https://t.co/eQUQ95HE3c

— Zach Barnett (@zach_barnett) July 1, 2025

OU Sports & News

Welcome to the 405

Chloe Rodriquez has officially signed and will join the Sooners as a transfer from Lamar! We’re so excited to welcome you to OU

» Two-time Southland Conference Champion
» 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Qualifier pic.twitter.com/Tzz7tW8sWP

— Oklahoma T&F & XC (@OU_Track) July 1, 2025

Welcome to the 405

Ahmed Sayf Kadri has officially signed and will join the Sooners as a transfer from Eastern Kentucky

» 2023 NCAA XC Championships Qualifier
» 3-time NCAA Outdoor Championships Qualifier (800m, Steeplechase x 2)
» 2024 African Games Championships Finalist… pic.twitter.com/xNf7CeXiqb

— Oklahoma T&F & XC (@OU_Track) July 1, 2025

EA Sports College Football 26 rolled out some more player rankings and revealed its top 20 quarterbacks. Get ready to play as these guys with their respective schools.

Or of course, try to get them to transfer to your favorite program in dynasty mode! The list is pretty close to the standard ranking of quarterbacks throughout college football this year.

Without further ado, let’s dive into EA’s QB rankings for the new edition of the game. They are in order to go along with their actual rating.

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about Klubnik being the top quarterback in college football. Heck, some early mock drafts have him as the top QB, if not the No. 1 overall pick next spring.

Last season, he had a career year. Klubnik had 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 63.4% completion percentage to go along with 463 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.

Nussmeier is a popular pick to win the Heisman Trophy this coming season, among other quarterbacks. But he’s proven he could fill the shoes of Jayden Daniels and could get LSU to the College Football Playoff this fall.

Last season, Nussmeier threw for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 64.2% completion percentage. Expect those types of numbers once again this fall.

3. Drew Allar, Penn State – 92

Drew Allar has the build, the skill and the poise to be one of the best QBs in the country. It’ll be interesting to see how he follows up last year’s run to the CFP semifinals with national championship expectations in 2025.

Allar was a more accurate quarterback last year and tossed 24 touchdowns. He also threw for 3,327 yards but had eight interceptions compared to two in 2023.

4. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State – 91

Leavitt broke out last season, helping the Sun Devils win the Big 12 and make the College Football Playoff. The hype train around Arizona State is still chugging along.

Last season, he threw for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 61.7% completion percentage. He added 443 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

Sellers is a dual threat quarterback and would be fun to play in a video game wouldn’t he? Especially after his 2024 season and following some development, he’ll be a player to watch in the SEC this fall. 

Last year, Sellers threw for 2,543 yards, 18 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 65.6% completion percentage. He also ran for 674 yards and seven touchdowns.

Mateer is about to get way more hype now that he’s in the SEC. That’s just the way it works despite his really productive season as a quarterback at Washington State.

Last year, he threw for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 64.6% completion percentage. He also ran for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns. Good luck stopping him!

Beck gets a fresh start at Miami following his transfer this offseason. The former Georgia quarterback had a lot of ups with the Bulldogs, but also some downs and ended last year with a season-ending injury.

Last season, Beck was productive, but his completion percentage went down (64.7%) and interceptions went up (12). Still, he threw for 3,485 yards and 28 touchdowns in 13 games.

This man is a hammer! Horvath would run through a brick wall over passing it any day! In all seriousness, he’s a quality quarterback for Navy.

As a passer, Horvath only threw for 1,353 yards, 13 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 57.6% completion percentage. But as a runner, he’s a stud: 1,246 yards, 17 touchdowns and 7.1 yards per carry.

Manning was already getting a lot of hype going into his first full year as a starting quarterback. Now, the latest EA video game already has him as a top 10 player.

In limited opportunities, and two starts, Manning threw for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions last year. He can also run really well, clocking in as one of the fastest QBs in the country, and he ran for 108 yards and four touchdowns on just 25 attempts.

10. DJ Lagway, Florida – 90

Lagway has a lot of potential as a quarterback and it seems like EA is banking on it as well. As long as he develops and stays healthy, he could really elevate Florida to new heights in 2025.

As a freshman, Lagway threw for 1,915 yards, 12 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 59.9% completion percentage. If he cuts down on the turnovers and the offensive symmetry improves, it should be a good year. 

11. Avery Johnson, Kansas State – 89
12. Kevin Jennings, SMU – 89
13. Darian Mensah, Duke – 89
14. Luke Altmyer, Illinois – 89
15. Kaidon Salter, Colorado – 88
16. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA – 88
17. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt – 88
18. Rocco Becht, Iowa State – 88
19. Jake Retzlaff, BYU – 88
20. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor – 88