The Gaming Tailgate Video Podcast
The NCAA has made the decision not to enter a new contract for the license of its name and logo for the EA Sports NCAA Football video game. The current contract expires in June 2014, but our timing is based on the need to provide EA notice for future planning. As a result, the NCAA Football 2014 video game will be the last to include the NCAA’s name and logo. We are confident in our legal position regarding the use of our trademarks in video games. But given the current business climate and costs of litigation, we determined participating in this game is not in the best interests of the NCAA.
The NCAA has never licensed the use of current student-athlete names, images or likenesses to EA. The NCAA has no involvement in licenses between EA and former student-athletes. Member colleges and universities license their own trademarks and other intellectual property for the video game. They will have to independently decide whether to continue those business arrangements in the future.
Time will tell on what this means for EA SPORTS. Could this mean the end of college football video games? Or does this mean the birth of EA SPORTS College Football with the company needing to reach licenses with individual schools and no longer needing to have the game meet the standards of the NCAA?
Updated story after the break.
UPDATE:
As the story continues to unfold, many are reporting that while the NCAA would no longer be involved with the EA SPORTS game, that does still leave the possibility of EA SPORTS contracting directly with the CLC (Collegiate Licensing Company) which does "represent nearly 200 of the nation’s top colleges, universities, bowl games, athletic conferences, the Heisman Trophy, and the NCAA." That would allow for EA to continue to release a game by just simply changing the title (maybe Bill Walsh Football 2015? College Football 2015?).
Brett McMurphy of ESPN has stated on twitter that a game will be released beyond this year, just without the affiliation of the NCAA.
EA Sports will still have college football video game beyond 2014, just won't be affiliated w/NCAA
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 17, 2013
First non-NCAA affiliated EA Sports college football video game will be called "College Football 15" source told @ESPN
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 17, 2013
UPDATE 2:CLC, which manages licensing for most of the schools in EA’s NCAA Football, says it will do so in the future even as the NCAA drops out.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 17, 2013
EA has released their official response. This from Andrew Wilson, Executive Vice President of EA SPORTS.
By now, most fans will have heard that EA's licensing agreement with the NCAA is set to expire and that we have agreed to part ways. I'm sure gamers are wondering what this means.
This is simple: EA SPORTS will continue to develop and publish college football games, but we will no longer include the NCAA names and marks. Our relationship with the Collegiate Licensing Company is strong and we are already working on a new game for next generation consoles which will launch next year and feature the college teams, leagues and all the innovation fans expect from EA SPORTS.
We took big creative strides with this year's college game and you’ll see much more in the future. We love college football and look forward to making more games for our fans.
UPDATE 3:
From IGN: Following its loss of the NCAA license, EA has struck a new deal with the College Licensing Company to continue making college football games.
According to Polygon, the contract with the CLC will start in July 2014 and will last for three years, giving EA rights to “more than 150 colleges, conferences and bowl games.”
From USA Today: More than 150 colleges, conferences and bowl games have approved a three-year contract extension with EA Sports to continue production of its college football video game, which has been at the center of a legal controversy.
The announcement, confirmed Friday, comes two days after the NCAA announced it would not renew its contract with EA Sports after next year, citing business reasons and litigation costs amid a raft of lawsuits involving the game. The NCAA's decision means the popular game no longer will be called "NCAA Football" but rather "College Football," with each school or league deciding to opt in or out through Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), their licensing agent. Some schools did opt out for different reasons, though it's not clear how many. CLC represents nearly 200 colleges, conferences and bowl games.
"More than 150 colleges, conferences and Bowl Games have approved the extension thus far," CLC spokesman Andrew Giangola told USA TODAY Sports. "For various reasons, schools and conferences typically come and go across the life span of any licensed product, as is the case with this game."
We'll continue to share more information about the story as it continues to unfold.
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