ESPN.com is reporting that the Southeastern Conference will be joining the NCAA and no longer license its trademarks with EA SPORTS and their college football franchise.
While this means the removal of the SEC name, logos, and other trademarked conference-related items, the member schools will still make their own determination if they will appear in the product.
Joystiq's Mike Suszek adds that "150 collegiate institutions, including SEC schools, have approved renewal of the EA college football license, to begin with the 2015 edition. As with any licensed product, individual schools continue to make their own decisions."
What does this mean for the franchise? It is expected that the next title in the franchise will feature a generic name for the SEC. Though, much remains up in the air as this news amplifies significant concerns that numerous conferences and programs may follow suit.
From an EA SPORTS College Football 15 design standpoint, there is some community-based discussion that this may lead to a more customizable game, namely within the Custom Conferences feature to edit names, add logos, edit bowl tie-ins, etc. The offseason has now featured the NCAA & SEC removing themselves from the franchise and many conferences revamping bowl tie-ins. With more conference realignment in the future, these changes may lead to more customization and user options within the franchise. However, there is still the growing concern that should an excessive number of licensed partners jump ship, the franchise may be cancelled.
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http://espn.go.com/college-football/...d=sportscenter
The Southeastern Conference has joined the NCAA in announcing it will no longer license its trademarks in the EA Sports NCAA football video game.
The move comes a month after the NCAA said it would not license its trademarks, either. That ruling, however, allowed each individual institution and conference to license its trademarks with EA Sports for future college football games.
"Each school makes its own individual decision regarding whether or not to license their trademarks for use in the EA Sports game(s)," the SEC said in a statement. "The Southeastern Conference has chosen not to do so moving forward.
"Neither the SEC, its member universities, nor the NCAA have ever licensed the right to use the name or likeness of any student to EA Sports."
The NCAA's statement last month included similar language about current student athletes, but cited legal costs as the reason for not renewing its contract with EA Sports.
"We are confident in our legal position regarding the use of our trademarks in video games," the NCAA said. "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 is currently embattled in a lawsuit with current and former student athletes, led by former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon, over the alleged use of their likenesses in EA Sports video games without compensation.
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