Yesterday, the NCAA announced that it would not be renewing its license with EA to make college football games. Despite the end of their contract with the NCAA, EA has announced that they will continue making college football games, due to both a continuing relationship with the Collegiate Licensing Company, and the ability to talk to individual schools about using their likenesses and logos.
In a press release, EA Sports said: “EA Sports will continue to develop and publish college football games, but we will no longer include the NCAA names and marks. Our relationship with the Collegiate Licensing Company is strong and we are already working on a new game for next generation consoles which will launch next year and feature the college teams, conferences and all the innovation fans expect from EA Sports.”
The only change that can be expected from the game is the loss of “NCAA” from the cover of the game. EA can now add playoffs and get licensing for individual bowl games and schools. According to Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, the bulk of EA’s licensing payments went to the Collegiate Licensing Company, not the NCAA. EA’s partnership with college football will continue, probably without an effect on sales. ” In our view, the letters NCAA add little to the game experience, and we do not expect the game to sell materially fewer units when the letters are removed,” said Pachter in an analyst’s note.
Source: Fansided
