One of the in-game commentators in the NCAA Football franchise has now become one of the first - if not the loudest - voices in trying to get the franchise to return.

Analyst Kirk Herbsteit is not only hoping the series returns, he puts the blame squarely at the feet of Ed O'Bannon, whose class-action lawsuit helped lead to the (temporary?) end of EA SPORTS' NCAA Football franchise. In an interview with SECcountry.com, Herbstreit issued the following comments: “I was probably as devastated or more devastated than anybody in the country. I’ll do anything I can do to help be a part, to lead a cause, bring that game back.” ... "I can’t believe Ed O’Bannon took that game away from us.”

If Herbstreit is serious about helping to see NCAA Football return - which we believe he is - he should use his connections and weekly in-season meetings with Athletic Directors and athletic departments to push for schools/conferences to actually use their highly clamored for autonomy and establish player likeness rights for student-athletes. Since acquiring the rights to make some of their own rules, the Power Five conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC) and the NCAA have continued to punt on finally addressing this long-term issue. Until that issue (and likely all litigation) is settled, there is no little to no hope for the franchise returning.

Continue on to read an excerpt of SECcountry.com's interview with Herbstreit. ...

In their first Facebook post since July 29, 2014 the EA SPORTS NCAA Football Facebook page has posted a very cryptic video of a heartbeat on an EKG machine.

Could this be a tease of the franchise returning? Was the page hacked? Or on the threshold of the National Championship Game, is this a reminder of the franchise and the many fans who want it to return?

We will update this story if any additional news or information is acquired.

UPDATE - Per Owen Good:
“No news, sorry to get your hopes up.” EA Sports rep to me re: that Facebook heartbeat video. It’s about tonight’s nat’l championship game. ...

During E3 2015, Microsoft announced backwards compatibility would be coming to the Xbox One in a gradual process with more titles being added over time. To help gauge interest on which titles should receive priority, Microsoft has established a nomination/voting system. Many NCAA Football fans have indicated a desire to play the title on a next-gen console. This is the opportunity to do so.

Head over to this site and search then vote for 'NCAA Football 14.'

It is currently unknown if the franchise could be added due to its status in limbo due to lawsuits, but this opportunity should be taken to show EA, the NCAA, CLC, and universities that there is a strong demand for the product to return in some fashion.

Please spread the word to all of your NCAA Football playing friends! ...

White Knuckle IP, LLC has sued Electronic Arts claiming that the company infringed on their 2002 patent that described a methodology where sports games would be updated based on real-life events during a season. The accused products include NCAA Football 10-14 and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10-14. In the complaint, White Knuckle did not indicate any specific offending feature(s).

The original patent by White Knuckle IP, LLC in 2002 reflected a time when console games could not be updated easily, however patches/updates existed for PC gaming before 2002.

While NCAA Football included updated uniforms and field art, it is unknown what mid-season updates the Tiger Woods PGA TOUR franchise included. It seems that White Knuckle may be targeting these franchises as they would appear in some regards to be defunct - NCAA Football on hiatus at best (discontinued at worst) with Tiger Woods PGA TOUR skipping a 2014 calendar release to rebrand itself in 2015 as simply EA SPORTS PGA TOUR.

A true player and stadium/arena mid-season update system is included in almost every current sports title published today (by numerous publishers) and many with larger sales numbers than NCAA Football or Tiger Woods PGA TOUR. Perhaps the plaintiffs felt the need to attempt to reach a decision or settlement with these franchises before a potential statute of limitations was reached. ...

We have now reached the second Tuesday of July, the date typically reserved for the release of EA SPORTS NCAA Football. However, multiple lawsuits and the changing landscape of college sports mean the end of the franchise as we know it.

Anyone 21 years of age or younger has grown up with NCAA Football being an annual summer release. The franchise became a tradition for many and as they grew, so did the game. Fans played it against friends and family, it became a battle for bragging rights in college dorms, and the addition of Online Dynasty allowed gamers from across the country to compete against each other.

While plans were in place and the development underway for EA SPORTS College Football 15, its cancellation made it the last college sports franchise to fall, joining the ranks of NCAA Basketball/March Madness, College Hoops, and MVP NCAA Baseball. Between licensing costs and lawsuits over the alleged use of player likenesses, college gaming will likely not return for some time, if ever. ...

The latest NCAA Football 14 Uniform Store update features new uniform parts for Hawai'i (Rainbow Warrior uniform), Texas A&M (Razorwire helmet and Dark Onyx uniform), and Texas Tech (Never Quit uniform).

The pack costs just $0.99 and is available by going to Team Management - Uniform Store Pack #9. ...

Two new uniform packs are now live in the NCAA Football 14 Uniform Store. The packs include numerous helmet, jersey, and pants options for schools such as Nebraska's "Unrivaled" uniform, UCLA's "LA Midnight" uniforms, Notre Dame's "Shamrock Series" uniform, and Maryland's "Red Pride" uniform.

Continue on to see the full list of items in these two packs. ...

Two new uniform packs are now live in the NCAA Football 14 Uniform Store. The packs include numerous helmet, jersey, and pants options for schools such as Tennessee's gray uniform, Western Kentucky's chrome helmet, and Texas A&M's black uniform.

Continue on to see the full list of items in these two packs. ...

Following the cancellation of a college sports title from EA SPORTS for 2014 - and likely indefinitely - there has been no shortage of news, albeit expected or bizarre. Here is a quick rundown of what has transpired since then.

Continue on to read the full article. ...