In some not shocking news for the day (at least from our perspectives observing legal situations the past few months), Electronic Arts has indeed cancelled its College Football series indefinitely. This doesn’t mean the series will never come back, but in the foreseeable future NCAA Football 14 might be getting some spin in your gaming que the next few years. Over the summer in July, an official announcement from the NCAA committee released saying they would not renew their contract with EA; essentially deciding the games fate before EA’s press release today.
The announcement today now comes from the company after years of trying to settle lawsuits with high-profile college players seeking to be paid for (see photo above), but with no agreement made. Last month, Southeastern Conference, Big Ten and Pac-12 joined the NCAA saying they would longer license their conference trademarks for the game; which put EA in a bad position of delivering a game that people would actually pay for.
According to data released by Collegiate Licensing Company, the EA College Football franchise provided more licensing royalties any other non-apparel license, but that wasn’t enough for the NCAA to stand by them. After the jump, you can take a look at the official press release from EA Sports.
OS REWIND: NCAA Picks Name & Site For College Football Playoff
OS REWIND: Documents Find 5 SEC Players To Have Received Improper Benefits
OS REWIND: The NCAA Will Not Renew Contract With EA, NCAA Football 14 Last Title With Company
Today I am sad to announce that we will not be publishing a new college football game next year, and we are evaluating our plan for the future of the franchise. This is as profoundly disappointing to the people who make this game as I expect it will be for the millions who enjoy playing it each year. I’d like to explain a couple of the factors that brought us to this decision.
We have been stuck in the middle of a dispute between the NCAA and student-athletes who seek compensation for playing college football. Just like companies that broadcast college games and those that provide equipment and apparel, we follow rules that are set by the NCAA – but those rules are being challenged by some student-athletes. For our part, we are working to settle the lawsuits with the student-athletes. Meanwhile, the NCAA and a number of conferences have withdrawn their support of our game. The ongoing legal issues combined with increased questions surrounding schools and conferences have left us in a difficult position – one that challenges our ability to deliver an authentic sports experience, which is the very foundation of EA SPORTS games.
At EA SPORTS, college football has always been a labor of love, and it is unfortunate that these business and legal issues have impacted our ability to make next year’s game. This franchise has been developed by a team that is deeply committed to the tradition and culture of this sport – that’s why fans have always loved it. We are working to retain the talented people who are part of the team by placing them elsewhere within the EA SPORTS organization.
In the meantime, we will continue to be connected and engaged with our fans who are playing EA SPORTS NCAA Football. Our decision does not affect our commitment to NCAA Football 14 and the consumers who love playing the game.
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