EA Sports to Pay College Football Players More for Appearing in College Football 26

EA Sports is increasing the payment to college football players who appear in their upcoming video game, College Football 26. Players will now receive $1,500 each, up from the $600 they were paid for College Football 25.

This pay increase comes after the huge success of College Football 25, which became the best-selling sports video game in US history, surpassing NBA 2K21. According to The Athletic (NY Times), EA Sports made this decision to "make sure athletes feel recognized for the success of the game."

In addition to the money, players will also receive a Deluxe Edition of the game, similar to what they got last year. Some athletes chosen as brand ambassadors will get even more compensation for promoting the game.

"From the beginning, we've designed our NIL program to be accessible, direct, voluntary and equitable for all, offering the same base-level compensation to every FBS athlete that opts-in," said Sean O'Brien, EA Sports vice president of business development, in a statement.

The NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deal, which began in 2021, allows college athletes to profit from the use of their identity in commercial products like video games. This policy change is what made it possible for EA Sports to bring back college football games after an 11-year hiatus following NCAA 14 in 2013.

For College Football 25, more than 14,000 players opted in to appear in the game, with the NIL rights of about 11,000 players actually being used. This worked out to around 85 players per team. The number of players featured in College Football 26 is expected to remain similar.

Some players might receive even more money through a new NIL group called Pathway Sports & Entertainment, which began obtaining video game NIL rights from players by paying $1,500 upfront. According to reports, about 1,000 players from schools like Alabama, Georgia, and Oregon have signed with Pathway. This means some players could receive up to $3,000 total for appearing in the game.

In total, EA Sports will spend more than $16.5 million on NIL rights for College Football 26, making it the largest single-sport NIL deal ever. This figure doesn't include additional payments to ambassadors, the value of the game copies given to players, or compensation for cover athletes.

A recently leaked image from a College Football 26 cover photoshoot suggests that real coaches might also appear in this year's game, something that wasn't part of College Football 25. The image reportedly includes at least 10 active players, five coaches, and three former players. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, who appeared in the leaked cover, previously said he would do it for free.

College Football 26 is expected to launch in July 2025, though the exact date hasn't been confirmed. No other details about the game are currently known.