EA Loses NCAA License!

[Matt]

Link

Quite the hit for EA. It not only possibly jeopardizes one of their most successful franchises out of circulation but also affects Madden.

Now here's where it gets interesting....EA claims that they will still release College Football 15 next year. NCAA is out, but NCAA schools can still be in if EA individually licenses each school and conference. I also think that the bowls can also still be in play if EA individually licenses each bowl. I'm not sure if the BCS can also be licenses.

The question is now, will the schools/conferences/bowls go through with it without the NCAA? I'm inclined to think, where there is money, the schools, bowls, and conferences will do it.

Still, I can't help but think it may be too expensive to individually license each. I'm not sure that "College Football 15," will come to fruition as EA claims.

 

[Tanin]

Will this end up like games of old with only some big players and others obvious fake versions?

 

[Matt]

Will this end up like games of old with only some big players and others obvious fake versions?

Nah. College players still can't be part of the game officially. But I think you'll see something similar. You're going to see only major schools/conferences and obviously fake versions of the smaller ones. Gone will be the Kent States, the Western Kentuckys, the UMasses, etc. No more MAC or Mountain West. Because frankly, I just can't see EA paying for them. Instead we'll probably get SEC, PAC-12, Big East, Big Ten, ACC and MAYBE the Big East (or American or whatever the hell they are calling themselves), with a few independents (Army, Navy, Notre Dame and maybe BYU). Further, we'll probably only see the major ones from there (for example, no Northwestern or Minnesota in the Big Ten, no Oregon State in the Pac-12, etc).

Sure, we'll have similar schools like Clark State Yellow Flares instead of the Kent State Golden Flashes, but it just won't be the same. I for one will be supremely disappointed. I love taking smaller schools and building them up over multi-year dynasties. I don't want to have to use generic smaller schools to do so.

 

[jacobed]

Eh their ncaa games were never very good and always felt very inferior to madden

 

[Matt]

NCAA has been better than Madden since 2006, at least.

 

[Tanin]

My only problem with football games are the easy AI and that one play that always works on them.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

EA seems unfazed by this, in other words, they knew it was coming.

"By now, most fans will have heard that EA's licensing agreement with the NCAA is set to expire and that we have agreed to part ways. I'm sure gamers are wondering what this means.

This is simple: 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, leagues and all the innovation fans expect from EA Sports.

We took big creative strides with this year's college game and you’ll see much more in the future. We love college football and look forward to making more games for our fans."

I just find that to be odd though. The NCAA is a BIG part of the sport. Not sure how that'll effect the BCS and things of that nature

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

meh...

only sports game i care about is FIFA

 

[Tanin]

FIFA 96 is the only one of the series I've played.

Lots of fun

 

[TheBat812]

Why pull the plug? Aren't they making a ton from these games?

 

[Matt]

EA seems unfazed by this, in other words, they knew it was coming.



I just find that to be odd though. The NCAA is a BIG part of the sport. Not sure how that'll effect the BCS and things of that nature

It's my understanding that the BCS and NCAA are separate entities. EA can literally license out everything individually. But you have to think that such will cost a small fortune. So my guess is they license out Bama, LSU, Notre Dame, Penn State, the big schools, conferences, bowls, etc and then use generic replacements for the smaller ones.

My other question is this: if the BCS, the conferences, the teams, etc, are all this far removed from the NCAA, what exactly does the NCAA do? Why does it even exist?

 

[Matt]

Why pull the plug? Aren't they making a ton from these games?

There is a pending lawsuit about the NCAA licensing out its likeness for profit while players go unpaid. In their statement, the NCAA said they are "not confident in their legal position"

 

[cherokeesam]

There is a pending lawsuit about the NCAA licensing out its likeness for profit while players go unpaid. In their statement, the NCAA said they are "not confident in their legal position"

There's that....
But I'm wondering too if the pull-out might be a case of the NCAA jumping ship from EA to a competitor. In other words, they might be giving 2K the greenlight for a college football game.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

There's that....
But I'm wondering too if the pull-out might be a case of the NCAA jumping ship from EA to a competitor. In other words, they might be giving 2K the greenlight for a college football game.

That's more than likely NOT the case. They're pulling out of the license because they are sensing that negative ramifications are coming out of this lawsuit they are currently in. It's possible down the road the NCAA could allow their license to be used, but I don't think that's happening any time soon

 

[ProjectPat2280]

meh...

only sports game i care about is FIFA

So why post in this thread? FIFA is more than in good standings. Thats EA's crown jewel.

 

[Tanin]

So to get this straight and make sure I understand.

For years the NCAA which is a non profit organization from what I've read has been making money from EA by renting out teams without compensating the teams for doing so?

If that is the case why has it taken so long for anyone to complain?

 

[ProjectPat2280]

So to get this straight and make sure I understand.

For years the NCAA which is a non profit organization from what I've read has been making money from EA by renting out teams without compensating the teams for doing so?

If that is the case why has it taken so long for anyone to complain?

No thats slightly incorrect, the programs through the NCAA make money, the PLAYERS do not. Thats what the lawsuit is about. Former players are suing the NCAA and EA claiming they used their likeness in order to sell these games. EA and the NCAA's claim is that, well no players names were used so therefor no likeness were used whereas the players say, just because my name isnt used, doesnt mean my likeness isnt being used. As of right now, going off this recent event, it appears they(the players) have a strong case.

 

[Tanin]

No thats slightly incorrect, the teams and the NCAA make money, the PLAYERS do not. Thats what the lawsuit is about. Former players are suing the NCAA and EA claiming they used their likeness in order to sell these games. EA and the NCAA's claim is that, well no players names were used so therefor no likeness were used whereas the players say, just because my name isnt used, doesnt mean my likeness isnt being used. As of right now, going off this recent event, it appears they(the players) have a strong case.

Thanks for clarifying

A very common sports thing is to make up a name but use the 'obvious' player clone when they can't get the rights. This whole situation doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

My other question is this: if the BCS, the conferences, the teams, etc, are all this far removed from the NCAA, what exactly does the NCAA do? Why does it even exist?

Its the governing body for rules and regulations. Much like the PGA. If the NCAA were to vanish tomorrow, then every program would have to individually agree in a set of rules per game. Or they could just agree to a set of rules overall, which would just create another governing body like the NCAA. Instead of striking deals with EACH school, deals are struck with the NCAA and that money is funneled to all the programs(or at least all D1 programs). However, in recent years you are seeing deals struck with individual conferences.

So the argument as to why the NCAA is needed, is a pretty good argument. The counter to that is well everyone should need to follow one set of rules and if there is no governing body, that can become extremely difficult to manage.

Take pro golf for example, theres at least 2 major governing entities. The PGA and USGA and there happens to be different rules for each, so it becomes complicated when one tournament decides to use the PGA's rules and the other decides to use the USGA's rule set when some of the rules are conflicting and it becomes even more complicated when some courses, such as the Augusta National are completely private and dont necessarily fall under either the PGAs or USGAs rule set. Pro golf has been trying to get under one set of rules for quite some time.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Thanks for clarifying

A very common sports thing is to make up a name but use the 'obvious' player clone when they can't get the rights. This whole situation doesn't surprise me at all.

Yep. I understand both view points, but in EA's defense, you look at say Johnny Manziel in NCAA 14 and Johnny Manziel in real life and outside of the number, they dont look very similar(maybe height is similar). Hell even the equipment is changed. Now EA allows users to go into the game and edit those features(which they do), but is that EA's fault? Or the users? Users want accurate depictions of the game and spend their time to make that happen. So in EA's defense they can say, well we dont name the players nor make them look like accurate versions of the real players, the user do that after the fact.

Some of the early concerns with this lawsuit and it still may happen, is that EA will just not allow ANY form of editing to these players. We wont be able to name them or change their appearence, which if thats the case would most likely greatly hurt the sales of the game, as again, users want an accurate depiction of the sport and its players.

 

[Tanin]

Baseball manages with slightly different rules. College Football can too

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Baseball manages with slightly different rules. College Football can too

You talking about difference between the AL and NL?

And yea i agree in theory, the difference here being there are a LOT, i mean a lot more teams to mange in college football than there is pro baseball. I mean something as simple as scholarship amount would be tough to agree on.

 

[Tanin]

Yea that was what I meant... but yea different sport and a lot more teams.... WAY too many teams.

I hope they don't remove editing. What people do with the game after they purchase it isn't EA's fault and honestly no ones business. When I play sports games I always edit in my friends and family. This is the same kind of thing that nearly ruined City of Heroes.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Yea that was what I meant... but yea different sport and a lot more teams.... WAY too many teams.

I hope they don't remove editing. What people do with the game after they purchase it isn't EA's fault and honestly no ones business. When I play sports games I always edit in my friends and family. This is the same kind of thing that nearly ruined City of Heroes.

Im the same way. In NBA 2K13 during this past season, id go so far as to compare game photos on ESPN to make sure my players are accurate equipment wise. When i was playing NCAA or Madden id do the same. Id make sure my teams players and the players of the teams i was facing had correct equipment and the like.

I havent played NCAA in a few years, but only because iv been disappointed in the quality of the product. If they were to improve the product id jump back on board in a heart beat, but ONLY if the ability to edit my players remained. If College Football 2015(or whatever they call it) comes out next season and the ability to edit my players isnt included, im going to pass without a second look at the game.

 

[Hush]

NCAA just needs to allow some sort of post-collegiate career stipend for players who make it to the NFL or something. I think it's terribly wrong for the NCAA to not allow these players to make any money but to allow the players University and team make money based off their performance. I get that other students don't get those kinda post collegiate stipends but sorry you didn't have the achievements like these guys did with their career path because lets face it if you're any sort of good at football on the college level you are essentially majoring in football as soon as you make the actual team and start.

The NCAA is corrupt anyway, they really don't have the students best interest at heart so they need to stop acting like they do.