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.
DETROIT — Tucker Gleason ran for one overtime score and threw for four more as Toledo beat Pittsburgh 48-46 in a bowl-record six overtimes at the GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field on Thursday.
The game surpassed the previous mark set 48 hours earlier when South Florida beat San Jose State 41-39 in five overtimes in the Hawai’i Bowl on Tuesday.
This is the third bowl game to go to multiple overtimes this season, already the most in a single bowl season since OT was established in 1996. Northern Illinois beat Fresno State 28-20 in double overtime in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Monday. There had never been a bowl game to go to four overtimes before this week.
This also is the first season with multiple games to go to at least six overtimes, after Georgia beat Georgia Tech 44-42 in eight overtimes last month. Toledo’s last multi-OT game was a win in double overtime against Iowa State in September 2015.
Pitt freshman Julian Dugger, making his college debut, ran for two overtime scores and threw for two more, but his incomplete pass in the sixth overtime ended the game. The Panthers, who started the season 7-0, became just the second team in FBS history to end a season on a losing streak of six or more games, including a bowl game.
After Gleason and Dugger traded rushing touchdowns in the first overtime, each team got a field goal in the second. Each threw two-point passes in the third overtime, and Gleason got another in the fourth to make it 44-42.
Dugger was sacked, apparently ending the game, but the Rockets were called for holding. Dugger was ruled short on a sneak attempt, sending Toledo rushing onto the field for a second time, but replay ruled he crossed the plane.
In the fifth overtime, Dugger made it 46-44 with a scoring pass to Gavin Bartholomew, but Gleason tied it with his fifth scoring pass of the game. The sixth put Toledo back in front, and Dugger was pressured into a bad throw to end the game.
The Panthers played without starting quarterback Eli Holstein (leg) and backup Nate Yarnell (transfer portal). David Lynch, a redshirt freshman walk-on, started his first game but was pulled in the third quarter after throwing two interceptions.
Dugger led the Panthers to two touchdowns and a field goal on his first three drives, turning a 20-12 deficit into a 30-20 lead.
However, Toledo got its second pick-six of the game when Darius Alexander returned Dugger’s interception 58 yards for a touchdown. The extra point made it 30-27 with 7:49 left, and the Rockets kicked a tying field goal with 1:45 to play.
Toledo started quickly, driving for a Gleason touchdown pass on the game’s opening drive, but Kyle Louis blocked the extra point and returned it for Pitt’s first defensive two-point conversion since 1990.
Desmond Reid‘s 3-yard run and Ben Sauls‘ 57-yard field goal gave Pittsburgh a 12-6 lead, but Gleason’s 67-yard touchdown pass to Junior Vandeross III put the Rockets up 13-12 midway through the second quarter.
On the next play from scrimmage, Braden Awls picked off Lynch’s pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown and a 20-12 halftime lead.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ARCADIA, Calif. — Raging Torrent won the $200,000 Malibu Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths on Thursday at Santa Anita, with Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan finishing last in the final Grade 1 stakes of the year in the United States.
Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Raging Torrent ran seven furlongs in 1:21.54 and paid $7.20 to win as the 5-2 favorite in the field of six on opening day of Santa Anita’s 90th winter meet.
“We really thought going into it we were the best horse,” winning trainer Doug O’Neill said. “Just watching him day in, day out, he was training out of this world.”
Mystik Dan, a nose winner of the 150th Kentucky Derby in the closest three-horse finish since 1947, was last. The 3-year-old colt raced for the first time since finishing eighth in the Belmont Stakes in June.
Stronghold , seventh in the Kentucky Derby, was second. A trio of Bob Baffert trainees were third, fourth and fifth: Imagination, Pilot Commander and Winterfell.
There was a stewards’ inquiry involving the stretch run between Imagination and Pilot Commander. The stewards ruled that Imagination did lug out and make contact with Pilot Commander, but it didn’t affect the order of finish and no changes were made.
Dettori celebrated with his trademark flying dismount in a crowded winner’s circle.
“Of course, I was afraid of Mystik Dan, but I thought the day to beat him was today,” Dettori said. “At seven-eighths, my horse was very sharp and he proved it.”
Mystik Dan was sprinting for the first time in over a year. He was the first current Kentucky Derby winner to race at Santa Anita since California Chrome in 2015. After his narrow Derby win, Mystik Dan finished second in the Preakness.
“He broke good, but it just seemed like we were always chasing,” jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. said. “I think shortening up took away from him. After running a mile and a quarter, it is tough to go back to seven-eighths. The horse is fine.”
Other races – Johannes, the 1-5 favorite, rallied down the stretch to win the $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes by three-quarters of a length. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, the 4-year-old colt ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.50 and paid $2.60 to win for trainer Tim Yakteen.
– 16-1 shot J B Strikes Back won the newly renamed $200,000 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths. Ridden by Antonio Fresu, the 3-year-old gelding ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.80 and paid $34.80 to win. Trained by Doug O’Neill, J B Strikes Back is owned by Purple Rein Racing, the stable of Janie Buss. Her late father, Jerry Buss, owned the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, which are now controlled by her sister, Jeanie Buss. O’Neill’s other horse, 3-2 favorite Katonah, finished sixth.
Former Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver DeSean Jackson and Delaware State are finalizing an agreement for him to become the program’s next head coach, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Thursday.
Jackson did an on-campus interview in recent days, and the sides are expected to come together to complete the deal in the near future. According to a source, it has always been a dream of Jackson’s to coach at a historically Black college or university (HBCU). That dream could be a reality in the near future.
The 38-year-old would replace Lee Hull, who was dismissed earlier this month after two disappointing seasons, including a 1-11 showing this year.
The news was first reported by Victory Formation Media.
Jackson, who officially retired as a member of the Eagles after the 2023 season, made the Pro Bowl in three of his eight seasons with the team. He became the first player in NFL history to earn Pro Bowl honors at two positions — kick returner and wide receiver. He played 15 years overall and had stints with the Los Angeles Rams, Washington, Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Las Vegas, but he is best known for the six-year run in Philadelphia at the start of his pro career.
In 95 career games with the Eagles, he ranks third all time in receiving yards (6,512), sixth in receptions (379) and ninth in receiving touchdowns (35). As a punt returner, he finished second in punt returns (132), third in punt return yards (1,296) and is tied for the team’s all-time lead in punt return touchdowns with four.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
