In one of the least surprising announcements in the video game world Thursday, Electronic Arts confirmed another edition of EA Sports College Football 26 will be released later this summer.
The move was highly expected after EA Sports College Football 25 became the highest-grossing sports video game in history this year, according to analytics company Circana, surpassing NBA 2K21. The longtime favorite game was on hiatus for 11 years due to an ongoing lawsuit centered around name, image and likeness.
EA, which had been manufacturing the game since 1993, later reached a settlement with the former players, with more than 29,000 athletes receiving a share of $40 million, an average of around $1,200 per player.
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Now that players can earn money for their NIL, EA resumed the game with the most recent edition coming out in July 2024. More than 12,000 college athletes opted into the game, with each earning a free copy as well as payment of $600. Compensation to individual athletes was exclusively managed by OneTeam Partners.
It is unknown how much players and schools will earn for their involvement in the 2026 edition.
Last season, cllct revealed how much every FBS program earned for its NIL inclusion in the game, which was broken down into a four-tier system based on AP Poll results from 2014-2023. Whether or not that system changes remains to be seen. It also has yet to be determined how much each student athlete will earn for their NIL.
Matt Liberman is a reporter and video producer for cllct.