Depresses me that we never saw TDECU rendered in the game, nor did we get a chance to play with that 2015 team, or even see Ed Oliver in the game.
For the game to come back, schools need to decide they’re OK with it. That will require outstanding court cases to wrap up and the schools to be comfortable that they’re not creating liabilities for themselves.
The NCAA office doesn’t have to be involved; if the 130 FBS schools agree to license their logos, stadiums, and uniforms, EA could call the game College Football 24 or whatever (as was briefly the plan during the 2013 legal turmoil) without using the NCAA’s name. EA strikes individual licensing deals with bowl games, postseason trophies, and ESPN, while most of the colleges do their licensing deals through two or three agencies.
The schools would also have to decide what they’re willing to share with their players. Many players got three-figure payments from previous court settlements, and some commentators have proposed paying players up front in amounts comparable to the game’s retail price. It’s up to the schools; EA wanted to pay players all along. The game probably can’t happen until this gets figured out.
