'EA Sports College Football 25:' 10 best teams to use in dynasty mode

With less than 24 hours until the public release of the highly-anticipated “EA Sports College Football 25” video game, cllct is offering its advice on one of the most-played features of the game, dynasty mode.

What is dynasty mode?

Per EA, dynasty mode allows you to “create a coach and build a powerhouse college football program from the ground up. Establish your coaching staff, recruit the best talent, utilize the transfer portal, and watch your program ascend to the sport's pantheon.”

It’s your opportunity to virtually put your footprint on the college football world.

It’s also your opportunity to navigate the challenging landscape, much different from the college football world that existed during the game’s last edition, in 2014.

For those who played the franchise mode then, you’ll have to adjust to the transfer portal and name, image and likeness.

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Given that info, here are 10 teams to consider beginning your dynasty mode with.

1. Kennesaw State

If you like a challenge, look no further than the Owls. Kennesaw State is the most recent addition to the FBS, a transition that has no shortage of growing pains, especially considering the Owls went just 3-6 last season in the FCS.

But the Owls give you the opportunity to recruit from one of the nation’s biggest football hotbeds. Kennesaw, Georgia, nestled just outside of Atlanta, gives you the chance to show off your recruiting prowess and build a program from the ground up.

Good luck. And props to those who dare to be different,

2. Stanford

What’s better than restoring a national program from the depths of irrelevancy? Winning a national title. You have the chance to do both with Stanford.

After winning at least eight games every season from 2009-2018, the Cardinal have won just 17 total games in their last five seasons, the team’s second-worst five-year stretch since 1963.

Imagine that. After the best 10 years Stanford has ever had, the last five have been nearly the worst. This is your chance to change that.

The Cardinal … from Palo Alto, California … is now a member of the ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE. With the demolition of the Pac-12, you can dominate West Coast recruiting against the rest of the ACC ... and perhaps restore a once proud program to glory.

3. James Madison

It’s time to strike while the iron’s hot.

JMU has been an FBS program for just two seasons, and in those years the Dukes finished 8-3 (2022) and 11-2 (2023), and even beat in-state foe Virginia.

There are few better recruiting states than Virginia when it comes to building talent, which schools from North Carolina, especially, have been able to poach in the last few seasons with Virginia and Virginia Tech’s struggles.

So much of dynasty mode is being able to recruit successfully. Take advantage of middling power conference teams within the state to help build your program and create talent pipelines from within Virginia.

Then maybe you’ll be able to poach from other states, such as the Carolinas and Georgia.

4. Army or Navy

Say it with me. No more triple option!

Normally, service academies can’t accept transfers, and they also can’t offer athletic scholarships. But this is a video game, and it’s your chance to turn these teams into juggernauts that can PASS THE BALL.

Take on the challenge of completely changing the philosophy of the teams and their personnel.

5. SMU

This won’t be nearly as difficult as some of the schools above. The Mustangs went 11-3 last season and a perfect 8-0 in the AAC.

This year marks their first in the ACC, as they joined the conference with Stanford and Cal. SMU gives you the chance to dominate Texas recruiting among the rest of the conference, while also retaining a gunslinger in Preston Stone, who threw 28 touchdown passes last season to just six interceptions.

With all that said, why choose SMU? Well, you won’t have to work as hard to be nationally relevant. And, you have a chance to do something that seemed like a pipe dream years ago, lead the Mustangs to the College Football Playoff.

This program received the death penalty back in the 1980s. And it did exactly that, killed the team. Now, SMU has a chance to do something no one ever thought would happen, and you can make it come true.

Plus, SMU has great NIL opportunities in the heart of Dallas.

6. Miami (Florida)

How many times are we going to ask “is ‘The U’ back” before the Canes are actually back?

Now it can be your turn to answer the call. With one of the best recruiting bases in the country and incoming transfer Cam Ward, formerly of Washington State, the Hurricanes have a chance to be an electrifying offense.

Miami returns 79% of its offense from a year ago, and adding Ward to the mix makes them one of the most tantalizing teams in the entire game. Plus, true sophomore defense end Reuben Bain (91 overall rating) is a game-wrecker, and what’s more fun than having one of those?

7. Louisiana Monroe

This team is bad. Really, really bad. After re-joining the FBS in 1994, the Warhawks have reached one bowl game in 30 seasons, and just fired coach Terry Bowden at the end of last year, following a 2-10 campaign.

This will likely be an even harder job than Kennesaw State, as ULM boasts the worst defense in the game (62 overall) and is tied for the second-worst offense (64 overall). Somehow, despite having both a worse offense and defense than lowest-ranked Ball State (68 overall), ULM squeaked by with a 69 overall.

Again, this team is bad. But that’s what makes the potential success that much greater.

8. Ball State

What’s there more to say besides the Cardinals are the lowest-ranked team in the game (68 overall)?

You should be excited to turn this lowly group into a MAC power. Plus, with stand-alone MAC week games, wins could really increase national exposure and recruiting.

9. Arkansas

Besides Vanderbilt (the doormat of the SEC), Arkansas is the lowest-rated team in the conference where “it just means more."

What makes the Razorbacks appealing is the home environment. EA ranked Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium as the 23rd-toughest place to play in the game, and with new in-game features to account for sights and sounds, Arkansas could present some horrors for teams on the road.

Plus, an SEC team will always be able to bring in talent, whether it be through recruiting or the portal.

Arkansas is a team that doesn’t have the recruiting base that other SEC programs such as Alabama, Florida, Texas or Georgia have, but it does present an exciting opportunity to really take advantage of the portal in the game, as a way to poach disgruntled recruits from those top-tier teams.

10. Oregon State or Washington State

This is simply a matter of pride.

The rest of the Pac-12 left these two programs to die. Take control of one of them and show everyone else what they’re missing.

Matt Liberman is a reporter and video producer for cllct.