The EA Sports college football franchise now spans 32 years and 23 different titles. It started with Bill Walsh College Football in 1993, a game that featured 24 teams and was released for the Super NES and Sega Genesis. After an 11-year hiatus that helped turn NCAA Football 14 into a pop culture sensation, the series returned in 2024 with EA Sports College Football 25, which became the best-selling sports video game in U.S. history based on dollar sales.

The latest entry, EA Sports College Football 26, launched in July 2025 and added major upgrades, including real coaches and the ability to play Road to Glory in high school. To keep the momentum rolling and push the ball across the goal line this summer, here are five features that need to make the game.

5 Essential Additions

The features below are a mix of old ones that need to be brought back and new ones that reflect the current world of college football.

1. NIL in Dynasty Mode

While I’m sure Dabo Sweeney would love for this to stay out of the game, it is time for EA Sports to channel its inner Pete Golding and add NIL to Dynasty Mode. Each school should have its own NIL budget based on program prestige to spend on players. That would create a whole new layer in recruiting and the transfer portal, as you decide how much to offer recruits and transfers without upsetting the players already on your roster.

2. FCS Teams

Time to add real FCS schools to the game and retire the generic stand-ins that are there now. With 127 FCS programs set to compete in 2026, adding all of them would be an impossible lift because of the work required to build rosters, stadiums and other details. A fair starting point is to include 10 real FCS schools in this version, then build from there in future editions.

More Sports News

.wp-block-group__inner-container:has(> .embla),
.wp-block-group:where(.alignfull) > .wp-block-group__inner-container:has(> .embla) {
width: calc(100vw – (var(–side-spacing) * 2)) !important;
}
.embla {
position: relative;
overflow: hidden;
}
.embla__container {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: nowrap;
gap: 0 !important;
width: 75%;
}
.embla__slide {
margin-inline-end: var(–column-gap);
}
.embla__arrow,
.embla__arrow:active,
.embla__arrow:target,
.embla__arrow:hover,
.embla__arrow:focus-visible {
display: none;
position: absolute;
top: 50%;
transform: translateY(-50%);
width: 40px;
height: 40px;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
line-height: 0;
background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.75);
color: var(–color-primary);
border-radius: 100vw;

svg {
width: 24px;
}
}
.embla__prev {
left: 0;
}
.embla__next {
right: 0;
}
]]>

3. Spring Games

How fun would it be to add spring games to the schedule? It would be a great way to get an early look at your transfers and incoming freshmen, especially if early enrollees are added as another feature. Spring games would also make the offseason in Dynasty Mode feel more alive instead of just something you click through.

4. Road to Glory: Safety

Admittedly, this one is completely selfish because safety was my favorite position to play in NCAA Football 14. Since cornerback is already an option in Road to Glory, there is no good excuse not to complete the secondary options and bring safety back.

5. College Football Playoff Selection Show

Imagine finishing 10-2 with your team sitting right on the bubble for the College Football Playoff. Then the selection show starts, revealing the bracket one team at a time while you wait to see whether your team got in. Each reveal could include the committee’s reasoning for why that team made the field, and the same treatment could be given to the top five teams left out. That would add a ton of drama and make the end of the season feel even bigger.

Closing Thoughts

The return of the EA Sports college football game in 2024 was long overdue and brought back childhood memories for many of us. One of the biggest complaints about EA Sports is they often releases what feels like the same game every year with only minor updates, while still charging full price. These five additions would build on an already strong game and show that EA is serious about continuing to grow and improve its marquee franchise.