On the heels of EA Sports announcing the upcoming return of its popular college football series, EA Sports College Football 25, it was announced that Thursday marks a significant opportunity for over 11,000 college football players — as they have the chance to enroll in EA Sports’ latest offering and earn compensation for their participation.
Having finalized its plan for name, image, and likeness usage, EA Sports will initiate the opt-in process. Initially, up to 85 players per school will feature on the game’s rosters upon its release later this summer.
Every athlete who chooses to allow their name, image, and likeness to be featured will receive a payment of $600, along with a complimentary copy of the game valued at $70. These athletes will retain their presence in the game throughout their collegiate careers but retain the option to opt out of future editions if they wish. Furthermore, athletes who remain in the game for multiple years will receive annual compensation, and players who transfer will continue to be remunerated as long as they remain on a roster.
“We feel very proud that we’ll be the largest program, likely the highest-spending program,” EA Sports vice president of business development Sean O’Brien told ESPN. “And really an inclusive opportunity with an equitable distribution of funds across the board.”
In determining the $600 payment, O’Brien explained that EA Sports analyzed agreements made for other sports titles, such as the Madden NFL series, the NHL series, and the company’s soccer game. Notably, EA Sports’ arrangement for college football does not require any specific services from the athlete and ensures payment regardless of the game’s performance.
“There’s nothing been done on this scale that EA is doing, where every student-athlete that participates in the game is guaranteed revenue,” said Cory Moss, the CEO of the Collegiate Licensing Company, which has worked with EA on the game.
Additionally, there will be over 100 supplementary NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities available for athletes to engage with EA Sports. These opportunities could encompass various activities such as social media endorsements, on-campus promotions, advertisements, or even the chance to feature as the cover athlete of the game.
Moreover, EA Sports intends to extend these opportunities beyond college football players. O’Brien indicated that athletes from other men’s and women’s college sports will also be compensated for promoting the game.
Frank Arthofer, the president of OneTeam Partners, which collaborated with EA Sports on the licensing agreement, informed ESPN that these NIL opportunities would be directly negotiated between EA Sports and the athletes. Arthofer emphasized the unprecedented scale of EA Sports’ endeavor, with over 11,000 athletes opting in.
According to O’Brien, the ambassador program for the college football game is expected to surpass any similar program for other EA titles in terms of scope and participation.
“The vehicle is obviously a college football game,” O’Brien said, “but we really want to celebrate the fact that we’re back in college in doing that.”
