History of EA Sports College Football 25 in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: April 24, 2025

EA Sports College Football 25 is a highly anticipated video game marking the return of the EA Sports College Football series after an eleven-year hiatus since NCAA Football 14. Developed by EA Orlando and published by EA Sports, it revives the college football gaming experience for fans.

2013: NCAA Football 14 Release

In 2013, NCAA Football 14 was the most recent release in the EA Sports College Football series before a hiatus.

2013: EA Stops Producing College Football Games

In 2013, following the release of NCAA Football 14, Electronic Arts (EA) settled a lawsuit by former college football players regarding the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL) without compensation. As part of the settlement, EA announced it would cease production of college football video games.

December 2019: College Football 25 Pitched to EA Sports

In December 2019, Daryl Holt pitched College Football 25 to EA Sports, and it was greenlit for development shortly after.

2020: Drum Cadences Licensed

In 2020, the drum cadences appearing in the video game are performed by the drumline of the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, as licensed from their 2020 album Bang to Rights.

February 2021: EA Announces Return of College Football Series

In February 2021, EA publicly announced the return of the College Football series, with EA Orlando developing the game.

2021: NCAA Athlete Compensation Ruling

In 2021, the United States Supreme Court case NCAA v. Alston deemed the NCAA's avoidance of compensating athletes impermissible, which led to a reversal of the NCAA's position and the creation of rules for likeness compensation.

2023: EA Announces Player Likenesses in New Game

In 2023, after changes in NCAA rules regarding athlete compensation, EA announced that player likenesses would be featured in their next college football game.

February 15, 2024: EA Confirms Game Title and Reveals Trailer

On February 15, 2024, EA confirmed the game's title as EA Sports College Football 25 and revealed a trailer, promising further information in May 2024.

February 2024: EA Reveals NIL Compensation Plan

In February 2024, EA revealed plans to pay each athlete a flat $600 and provide a copy of the game for use of their NIL. Athletes opting out would be replaced with generic characters. EA would block players from creating and inserting the athlete into the game manually.

February 22, 2024: FBS Programs Featured in Game

On February 22, 2024, EA Sports announced that all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs would be featured in EA Sports College Football 25, but the 128 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) programs would not be included at launch.

February 22, 2024: Commentators Announced

On February 22, 2024, ESPN's Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit announced their involvement as commentators for EA Sports College Football 25. Kevin Connors, Jesse Palmer, Rece Davis, and David Pollack confirmed their involvement on X (Twitter) as well.

March 2024: EA Secures Over 10,000 Athlete NIL Opt-Ins

By early March 2024, EA had secured NIL opt-ins from over 10,000 athletes for the upcoming college football game.

May 2024: Further Information Promised

In February 15, 2024, EA confirmed the game's title as EA Sports College Football 25 and revealed a trailer, promising further information in May 2024.

May 16, 2024: Cover Athletes and Release Date Revealed

On May 16, 2024, EA Sports revealed the main cover of College Football 25, featuring Quinn Ewers, Travis Hunter, and Donovan Edwards, and confirmed the release date as July 19, 2024, with early access for Deluxe Edition owners on July 15.

June 28, 2024: Top 25 Team Power Rankings Revealed

On June 28, 2024, EA Sports revealed its top 25 overall team power rankings for College Football 25.

July 2, 2024: Dynasty Mode Revealed

On July 2, 2024, EA Sports revealed the Dynasty mode for College Football 25.

July 8, 2024: Gameplay Trailer Premiered

On July 8, 2024, a 21-minute gameplay trailer for College Football 25 was premiered, featuring YouTuber Bordeaux and cover athlete Donovan Edwards playing two games.

July 11, 2024: Road to Glory Deep Dive Released

On July 11, 2024, the Road to Glory Deep Dive for College Football 25 was released.

July 12, 2024: Early Access for Content Creators

On July 12, 2024, YouTubers and Twitch Streamers in EA's Creator Network program got early access to a nearly final edition of College Football 25, leading to uploads and streams of rebuilds and gameplay.

July 19, 2024: EA Sports College Football 25 Release Date

On May 16, 2024, EA Sports revealed the main cover of College Football 25, featuring Quinn Ewers, Travis Hunter, and Donovan Edwards, and confirmed the release date as July 19, 2024.