Wednesday afternoon, Matt Brown tweeted that he had heard that unless a bowl stadium is also the home stadium for an NFL team, it would not be included in EA SPORTS College Football 25. Brown cites one such example as Fenway Park's Fenway Bowl and that these bowls would be played in a generic stadium created by EA.
From Brown: Quick update on this btw. Hearing that bowl stadiums that are NOT NFL stadiums or campus sites will not be included in *this year's game*. So no Fenway Park, etc. EA will use a generic stadium for those games, I'm told. ... I don't think it's so much about licensing costs (although I'm sure that's at least A factor) as it is the fact that rendering an accurate stadium is REALLY time and resource intensive. It was one of the harder things to do for every FBS team, I'm told
EA has confirmed that all bowl games will be in EA SPORTS College Football 25. Provided the specifics of Brown's report are accurate, there would be nine bowl games played in generic stadiums.
If correct, here are the bowl games that could be affected:
- Bahamas Bowl - Thomas Robinson Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas)
- Frisco Bowl - Toyota Stadium (Frisco, TX)
- Camellia Bowl - Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, AL)
- Guaranteed Rate Bowl - Chase Field (Phoenix, AZ)
- Holiday Bowl - Petco Park (San Diego, CA)
- Fenway Bowl - Fenway Park (Boston, MA)
- Pinstripe Bowl - Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY)
- Pop-Tarts Bowl - Camping World Stadium (Orlando, FL)
- Citrus Bowl - Camping World Stadium (Orlando, FL)
Given Camping World Stadium's inclusion in NCAA 14 and proximity to EA, it seems possible that it could be an exception to Brown's report.
In addition to bowl games that could be played at generic stadiums, there are several neutral-site games in 2024 that may be played at school or generic sites if the same stadium guidelines are followed. These include:
- Florida State vs. Georgia Tech - Avila Stadium (Aer Lingus College Football Classic; Dublin, Ireland) - August 24
- Oklahoma vs. Texas - Cotton Bowl (Dallas, TX) - October 12
Given the Cotton Bowl's inclusion in NCAA 14 and long-standing tradition of the rivalry, it seems possible that it may appear in EA CFB 25.
There are two neutral-site games in 2024 that are being played at NFL stadiums. They are:
- Army vs. Navy - Commanders Field - December 14
- Navy-Notre Dame - MetLife Stadium - October 26
EA SPORTS has yet to announce or confirm neutral-site games in College Football 25, so perhaps none of them will be reflected in-game.
Will the lack of some authentic bowl stadiums detract from your experience in EA SPORTS College Football 25? Let the community know your thoughts below.
Quick update on this btw. Hearing that bowl stadiums that are NOT NFL stadiums or campus sites will not be included in *this year's game*. So no Fenway Park, etc. EA will use a generic stadium for those games, I'm told. https://t.co/P5aZvL56ZT
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) March 13, 2024I don't think it's so much about licensing costs (although I'm sure that's at least A factor) as it is the fact that rendering an accurate stadium is REALLY time and resource intensive. It was one of the harder things to do for every FBS team, I'm told https://t.co/yPudaUFV3B
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) March 13, 2024
