Video game giants EA Sports and 2K have both suggested they could revive their dormant college basketball series following the success of the former’s College Football reboot.

There hasn’t been a major college basketball video game since 2009, and simulations based on the sport were never as popular as those focusing on football. However, the successful relaunch of College Football has led to speculation that the sport could be next in line.

EA Sports College Football 2025 was the first entry in the much-loved series since 2013 following a decade-long hiatus caused by licensing issues. It attracted more than five million unique players within its first week and became the best-selling sports video game of all time in the US.

Both EA Sports and 2K Sports sense an opportunity. SportsPro explores the factors behind the genre’s demise, what has enabled its return, and the potential impact one or more new titles could have on men’s and women’s college basketball.

NCAA Basketball 10 was the last entry in the series

Why did EA Sports and 2K retreat from college basketball?

EA Sports first published a college basketball game on the original PlayStation in 1997. ‘NCAA March Madness’ was based on the publisher’s NBA Live game engine, modified to take into account the differences between the professional and college games. The series attracted a keen fanbase but never threatened to challenge game critics’ best of year lists – nor did it achieve the same degree of popularity as EA’s NCAA college football series.

The final instalment was ‘NCAA Basketball 10’, released in 2009, after which the series went on a seemingly permanent hiatus.

Part of the reason was financial. The series wasn’t as profitable as other EA Sports titles which meant there was an opportunity cost. EA was also taking a step back from the sport of basketball at the time. NBA Live 10 was struggling to compete with the more critically acclaimed and popular NBA 2K series and would not appear again until 2013 before it too was canceled in 2020.

But there were also licensing issues. While EA Sports negotiates deals with professional player associations or individuals to include real athletes in its National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL) and EA FC simulations, no such mechanism existed in college sports as NCAA rules prevented players from receiving any payment – even with regards to image rights.

So while the NCAA could be paid to use its name, branding and competition formats, players couldn’t receive a penny. This explains why the cover star for each addition of EA Sports college basketball series was a former player who had since been drafted to the NBA and could therefore be paid.

But that’s not to say that NCAA players didn’t appear in the game. Former UCLA player Ed O’Bannon successfully argued in court that EA Sports had used his likeness in NCAA Basketball 09 without compensating him. He said an unnamed UCLA player had the same height, weight, appearance, skin tone and jersey number as him – only his name was missing.

EA Sports, which had already stopped making college basketball games, also pulled the plug on its college football series. Although it could still strike deals with the NCAA and individual colleges, it did not believe there was a legal mechanism that would allow it to use real players given the ongoing NIL restrictions.

Prior to its courtroom battle, EA had seemingly killed off the competition. 2K Sports originated as a brand for sports simulations on the much loved but commercially unsuccessful Sega Dreamcast before it was acquired by Take Two in 2005.

2K’s college football series ended in 2002 after just two entries but the critically acclaimed ‘College Hoops 2K’ series continued until its cancellation in 2008. Take Two was unable to agree a licensing deal with the College Licensing Company (CLC), which managed image rights for schools and competitions.

The suggestion was that EA was seeking an exclusive licence, which would have prevented 2K from recreating the world of college basketball in any realistic manner. EA had used the same tactic with the National Football League (NFL) in 2004 after the competitively priced and well-reviewed NFL 2K5 affected sales and perception of its Madden NFL series.  

The revival of EA Sports College Football has been a huge commercial success (Image credit: EA Sports)

Why could college basketball games come back?

O’Bannon’s lawsuit set the wheels in motion for wider changes in college sports. In 2019, individual states started passing NIL legislation and since July 2021 all student athletes have been able to monetise their NIL rights through sponsorship agreements. A landmark settlement finalised earlier this month has also facilitated direct payments from schools as part of revenue-sharing agreements.

Now that college athletes could be paid for their image rights, there was now a way for EA Sports to compensate them for using their appearance, attributes and name in a video game and it confirmed the return of its College Football series in early 2021. But shifting legal frameworks were only part of the equation. The college sports landscape remained incredibly complex.

EA inked a deal with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) to ensure official team branding, kits, stadiums, mascots and other traditions could be used, as could the IP relating to the major conferences and the College Football Playoff (CFP). But all this would have been in vain without an agreement to include real players.

After much legal wrangling, the solution was an opt-in programme that offered any eligible athlete US$600 to be included in the game as well as additional cash payments made to players selected to promote the title. All players who signed up to the licensing programme will also receive a copy of the game for their chosen platform.

It took three years from announcement to publication, but EA Sports College Football provided a licensing blueprint for others, including a potential college basketball game to follow.

The cost of such a programme is less certain. At US$6 million, EA Sports’ licensing arrangement was the largest group NIL deal in history. However, given the phenomenal success of the game, it is probable the players will demand more money to be included in future titles. College basketball players could also demand more.

What have EA Sports and 2K Games said?

Earlier this week, EA posted semi-cryptically on X (the social media network formerly known as Twitter) ‘Bring the Madness. Let’s run it back.’ with a picture of a basketball adorned with the EA Sports logo.

While EA Sports hasn’t formally confirmed a new game is in development, its social activity and other reporting would appear to suggest that a new college basketball game is firmly in its sights. According to Extra Points, the new game could launch in 2028 and would feature both men’s and women’s college basketball teams and their respective March Madness tournaments.

Such a timeline would make sense. EA hasn’t released a basketball game in seven years and it will need time to assemble the necessary licensing framework. But, just like London buses, you wait more than 15 years for one college basketball video game and two arrive at once.

2K Sports, developer of the best-selling NBA 2K series, said in a statement that it was ‘exploring new ways to bring athletes and schools to life’. It also told a user on X, who suggested 2K should be the one to bring college basketball back, that “the campus has been quiet for too long”.

What does this mean for college sports?

A lot has changed since the last college basketball game was published, and not just in relation to NIL. CBS and Warner Bros Discovery pay a combined US$900 million a year for the broadcast rights to the men’s March Madness tournament, the most recent edition of which set a series of broadcast records along the way.

Any new game would be able to capitalise on this surging popularity and help drive it. Video game technology has advanced significantly over the past 15 years and is now a vital channel for engagement across multiple sports. A college basketball game would be able to reach younger fans and potentially drive ticket sales, merchandise income, and television ratings.

New modes such as online March Madness could be used to drive interest around tournament time, and in-app purchases could make such a title more commercially successful for EA Sports or 2K Sports. It’s also not inconceivable to think games could be used as a recruiting tool or a training application for players and coaches.

But perhaps the most significant legacy of a college basketball game could be with regards to women’s sport. Whilst the likes of EA FC and NBA 2K now feature women’s teams and competitions, women’s March Madness is one of the most high-profile women’s sporting events in the US and increasingly regarded on a par with the men’s equivalent.

ESPN is paying the NCAA US$920 million for more than 40 college sports championships, with women’s March Madness accounting for US$65 million of the contract’s US$115 million annual value. Meanwhile, the 2024 championship game attracted 18.87 million viewers – higher than the men’s game and the most ever recorded for a women’s basketball game.

The inclusion of women’s basketball would be a major step forward in terms of representation and would be a selling point in itself.

The big question is whether there is room in the market for two games. EA has the financial muscle but it has no annual basketball series to use as a foundation – unlike 2K Sports which, as a stablemate of Grand Theft Auto creator Rockstar Games, is no pauper either.

Whereas previous generations of video gaming allowed for multiple major franchises vying for supremacy in most sports, the cost of development and licensing has seen many fall by the wayside and even EA Sports has withdrawn from some markets.

But for now, college basketball looks like a golden opportunity and fans could be the beneficiary.