When you turn on EA Sports College Football 26, don’t expect to see Deion Sanders or Bill Belichick.
Arguably, the two most recognizable faces in all of college football won’t be found in the sport’s most popular video game.
EA Sports brought back one of the most popular video games in College FootballGettyThat’s because the two coaches declined to give EA Sports the rights to their likeness, for reasons unknown.
You can of course still play as Colorado or North Carolina, but it won’t be Coach Prime or the six-time Super Bowl winning head coach on either sideline in Boulder or Chapel Hill.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to Madden fans out there, as Belichick has long refused to give his likeness for the popular NFL video game to use, and he seems to have the same stance at the collegiate level.
As for why Coach Prime didn’t want to be in the game, that is unclear.
It could very well have been an issue in which Prime demanded a high compensation for the video game company to use his likeness, which EA wasn’t willing to pay.
After all, if there’s one man who knows his worth, it’s Sanders.
We don’t know the exact reason why either coach declined, nor will we probably ever find out.
However, Sanders and Belichick aren’t the only head coaches to not be found in the game, there are a handful of others.
According to CFBudge on X, here’s the full list of coaches who aren’t in College Football 26, including Sanders (Colorado), Belichick (North Carolina),Mark Carney (Kent State), Mario Cristobal (Miami), Trent Dilfer (UAB), Jason Eck (New Mexico), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), Tyson Helton (Western Kentucky), Charles Kelly (Jacksonville State), Bronco Mendenhall (Utah State), Frank Reich (Stanford) and Bryant Vincent (ULM).
As you can see, Sanders and Belichick were far from the only ones, but were easily the two biggest names of the bunch.
The two iconic coaches are notable absentees from the gameThe popular video game returned last year after a ten-year hiatus to resounding applause, excitement and success.
It went on to become the highest-selling sports video game of all-time in total dollars.
The game was shelved for a decade due to legal issues that surrounded the player’s name, image and likeness.
Now, of course, in the age of NIL and athletes getting properly and legally compensated, the game has returned.
Last year, more than 14,000 players opted into College Football 25, and the NIL of more than 11,000 players was used in the game. It is reported that this year’s game will feature the same amount.
This year, players in the game will receive $1,500 for their name, image and likeness, which is up $900 from last year’s $600 they received.
In what will go down as the largest single-sport NIL deal to date, EA Sports will spend more than $16.5million for the NIL rights of players to be in their 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 using the OneTeam platform and COMPASS NIL app,” EA Sports vice president of business development Sean O’Brien said in a statement.
“This approach empowers each athlete to make their own decision. College sports are growing and changing, and our focus at EA Sports is on continuing to put athletes first as we bring them in the game in College Football 26 and beyond.”
Star wide receivers, Jeremiah Smith from Ohio State and Ryan Williams from Alabama will be on the cover of CFB26, that will officially be released worldwide on July 10.
There will be thousands of athletes and coaches in this year’s edition, just not Sanders or Belichick, leaving a few fans upset.
“One coach has earned that right. The other just pretends he even deserves a nickname he gave himself as a coach,” one fan wrote on X.
Smith is already one of the best players in the country and is only a sophomoreGetty Williams is as electrifying as a player there is at the college levelGetty“They’re too good for this nonsense, I guess,” another commented.
A third added: “Dorks, that’s a bummer.”
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( ‘Declined’ – Legendary college coaches snub EA Sports – leaving fans fuming over their absence )
Also on site :