In May, Electronic Arts officially announced that it was bringing back its popular college football game after a 10-year hiatus. Marred by successful athlete lawsuits – which gave players compensation for likenesses that were used in the past – EA had no choice but to halt production of the game.
But is NCAA Football coming back in the summer of 2024, as promised? Perhaps not so fast.
There are doubts again after word leaked that OneTeam Partners, the group that EA had contracted to strike a deal with the players, had reportedly offered $500 per player for their likeness.
A group called the College Football Players Association publicly'revolted, saying th at current college players should not opt into the deal, which they said was a flat fee with no royalty and promises exclusivity.
“One Team Partners was formed by the NFL and Major League Baseball players unions,” said Jason Stahl, founder and executive director of the CFPA. “They haven't done deals that are flat fees with no royalties for their players. Why would they do it here?”