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The return of EA Sports’ college football video game series now has a time of arrival: the summer of 2024.

Daryl Holt, EA Sports’ vice president and general manager, told ESPN in an interview the brand is going to launch EA Sports College Football at that time because of the enormous undertaking of creating the game from scratch.

For them, it’s not about rushing to market but making sure the inaugural edition of what they plan to have as a yearly title is up to standard.

“That’s the best date for us to bring the game that we think is going to meet or exceed our player expectations,” Holt said. “And cover the breadth and scale of what we want in the game. We’re trying to build a very immersive college football experience.”

Holt said rumored potential earlier dates of release were conjecture and the release had not been delayed. He said there is a lot they wanted to work into the game, and they had to start from Square 1.

Holt said that included figuring out a way to use real college football players in the game. This is a change from when the brand announced the game was returning in February 2021 and the inner workings of name, image and likeness (NIL) were still being worked out in the college athletics landscape. Back then there were more unknowns about NIL.

NIL has opened avenues for college players to now be in the game, although it’s unclear how the structure of facilitating that will happen. An EA source told ESPN that players will be compensated if they are in the game.

“If you look back on where we were talking in 2021, that road was blocked,” Holt said. “I think I even said something to the fact that we were passengers on this journey, just like anyone else.

“Well, the road’s open now, but it’s still under construction.”

Holt said there are still issues they are working through with securing college football players for use in the game, but “our intent is to work towards that and find a meaningful way to include them in the game.”

Same goes for schools in the game. EA Sports partnered with CLC to secure the rights to FBS schools, uniforms, stadiums and other college football traditions and will have at least 120 schools in the game.

Holt said they have “a host of FBS schools committed,” although he would not say which of the 131 FBS schools have not yet signed on. Holt would not say whether Notre Dame, which had said soon after the February 2021 announcement it would not sign on for the game unless the players benefitted from the use of their name, image and likeness, has signed on. Holt also did not say what would happen if an FBS school chooses not to commit to being in the game.

The game has secured the rights to all 10 FBS conferences and the College Football Playoff.

“We expect more will join, but we can only commit to what we have got in the hopper right now,” Holt said. “And we’ll have more information to share as we move forward along that evolving landscape. But we’ll put as many schools as we possibly can put into the game.”

Holt also would not say whether FCS schools and HBCUs will be included other than to say the game will be “an always evolving experience.”

Holt said EA Sports is working to make sure as much of the traditions and unique experiences for each school, from stadiums to uniforms, are accurately included.

The game will feature the return of dynasty mode, in which a player can control a school through multiple seasons, including recruiting and the transfer portal, and road to glory, in which a player can create one player and take that player through the college football process.

Holt declined to get into any details on either, but he said that dynasty mode is a priority for the developers.

“Dynasty was on the top of everyone’s mind, on top of everyone’s list,” Holt said. “So that’s been something that I think we are passionately focused on and want to make sure that we can get that as right as possible for Year 1 with still foundational elements to build on as we go forward.”

The game will be the first college football game produced by EA Sports since NCAA Football ’14 with former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson — who now serves as the Wolverines’ assistant director of player personnel — on the cover.

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Auburn’s Freeze diagnosed with prostate cancer

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March 1, 2025

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Auburn's Freeze diagnosed with prostate cancer

  • Mark SchlabachFeb 28, 2025, 05:10 PM ET

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    • Senior college football writer
    • Author of seven books on college football
    • Graduate of the University of Georgia

Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and is expected to make a full recovery after doctors detected the disease in its early stages, the school announced Friday.

Freeze, 55, will continue coaching the Tigers while receiving treatment, Auburn officials said in a statement.

“Recently, Coach Freeze was diagnosed with an early form of prostate cancer,” the statement said. “Thankfully, it was detected early and his doctors have advised that it is very treatable and curable. He will continue his normal coaching duties and responsibilities, and with forthcoming proper treatment, is expected to make a full recovery.

“Coach Freeze is incredibly appreciative of our medical professionals and has asked that we use his experience as a reminder of the importance of prioritizing and scheduling annual health screenings.”

The Tigers are scheduled to start spring practice March 25.

Freeze’s teams went 11-14 (5-11 SEC) in his first two seasons, including a 5-7 campaign in 2024. With the additions of transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma), wide receivers Eric Singleton Jr. (Georgia Tech) and Horatio Fields (Wake Forest), offensive tackle Xavier Chaplin (Virginia Tech), and others, the Tigers are expected to be much improved this coming season.

At Liberty, Freeze coached from a hospital bed set up in the coaches’ box during the Flames’ 24-0 loss to Syracuse in his debut on Aug. 31, 2019. Freeze was recovering from surgery for a herniated disk in his back and a staph infection.

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Iowa State gives AD Pollard 5-year extension

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6 hours ago

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March 1, 2025

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Iowa State gives AD Pollard 5-year extension

  • Associated Press

Feb 28, 2025, 03:53 PM ET

AMES, Iowa — Jamie Pollard, the Iowa State athletic director since 2005, has received a five-year contract extension through 2030, the university announced Friday.

The Cyclones have had unprecedented success in the major sports in 2024-25. The football team had its first 11-win season and the ninth-ranked men’s basketball team has been in the top 10 all season and achieved its highest ranking since 1956-57 when it reached No. 3 in December.

Terms of Pollard’s contract will be announced later, the school said.

“I am humbled to have had the opportunity to lead our athletics program for the past 20 years,” said Pollard, who thanked the administration for its support. “We have an amazing culture in our athletics program, led by our talented and dedicated coaches and staff. Although our industry is undergoing transformational change, I am confident our department will successfully embrace these challenges with the same energy and urgency that has proven to be successful in the past.”

Pollard, the nation’s third-longest serving Power 4 athletic director, has overseen $340 million in new construction and facility renovations. Since 2011-12, and excluding the 2020-21 pandemic year, ISU is the only school in the nation to have average attendances over 50,000 in football, 12,000 in men’s basketball and 9,000 in women’s basketball.

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Bowling Green’s Loeffler takes QB job with Eagles

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March 1, 2025

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Bowling Green's Loeffler takes QB job with Eagles

  • Adam RittenbergFeb 28, 2025, 09:38 AM ET

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      College football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.

Bowling Green coach Scot Loeffler is leaving the school after six seasons to become quarterbacks coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Loeffler, 50, went 27-41 at Bowling Green but led the Falcons to bowl appearances in each of the past three seasons, posting a 16-10 record in MAC play during the span.

He will replace Doug Nussmeier, who left the Eagles with Kellen Moore to become the New Orleans Saints‘ offensive coordinator. Loeffler will work under new Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who had been the team’s passing game coordinator and associate head coach.

“Scot has been dedicated to not only BGSU Football, but to all our student-athletes and BGSU Athletics, as well as our Falcon Marching Band and spirit programs,” university president Rodney Rogers said in a statement. “He cares deeply about player development and student success, and we wish him all the best as he continues his coaching career in the NFL with the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles.”

Loeffler returns to the NFL for the first time since 2008, when he coached quarterbacks for the Detroit Lions. A former Michigan quarterback, Loeffler coached QBs at his alma mater from 2002 to 2007 and also with Central Michigan and Florida. He first became an offensive coordinator with Temple in 2011 and made coordinator stops with Auburn, Virginia Tech and Boston College before landing his first head-coaching opportunity at Bowling Green.

The coaching change means Bowling Green players now have a 30-day window to enter the NCAA transfer portal. The Falcons had already lost three All-MAC performers to the portal in December in running back Terion Stewart (Virginia Tech), offensive tackle Alex Wollschlaeger (Kentucky) and linebacker Joseph Sipp Jr. (Kansas). Bowling Green also is losing record-setting tight end Harold Fannin Jr. to the NFL draft.

Athletic director Derek van der Merwe will lead the search for Loeffler’s replacement. In a statement, Van der Merwe praised Loeffler for building “a very successful program in a challenging climate in collegiate sports.

“I am looking forward to this process of finding the next great leader for our program who embraces what it means to be a Falcon,” Van der Merwe added.

ESPN’s Max Olson contributed to this report.

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