EA Sports: Who's In The Game?

Everyone remembers the iconic line (which may bring back childhood memories): “EA Sports, it’s in the game.”

But what about the players who are, quite literally, in the game?

Last year, college athletes were paid $600 for opting into College Football 25 — the first edition since 2013.

After an eleven-year hiatus, the college football video game quickly became a commercial success, becoming the all-time best-selling sports video game in total dollars.

On Tuesday, EA Sports announced that players who opt-in to College Football 26 will receive $1,500 — more than double from last year.

Here’s the full breakdown:

How We Got Here

A brief timeline to get up to speed:

February 15, 2014: Following the release of NCAA Football 14, Electronic Arts (EA) settles a lawsuit brought by former college football players who argued EA used their NIL without permission or compensation. As part of the settlement, EA announced it would stop producing the college football video game.

May 17, 2023: Following the NCAA’s interim NIL policy that allowed athletes to profit from their NIL, EA announces player likeness will be featured in their next football video game.

February 22, 2024: EA reveals it will pay a $600 flat fee and a copy of the game for athletes who allow their NIL to be used. By March, over 10,000 athletes had opted in.

July 16, 2024: EA Sports College Football 25 is released. By November, the game becomes the all-time best-selling sports video game in total dollars.

Here’s where things get interesting: