For a decade, fans have awaited the return of EA’s college sports video games after a lawsuit halted them in 2014 when former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon sued to be compensated for the use of his name, image, and likeness.

The return of EA Sports College Football, slated for this summer, took a major step forward Thursday when the video game operator opened its opt-in program for players. Anyone featured in the game will receive $600 and a copy of the game, with the opportunity to earn more with additional promotions, Front Office Sports confirmed.

That news is a win for college sports, as the franchise’s return is likely the most-anticipated product of the name, image, and likeness era. But the NIL deals offered to players aren’t quite up to industry standard. Beyond the one-time payment, players will not receive royalties tied to game sales, even though the practice is common across the sports video game landscape. For participants, that’s where most of the money is. 

Mixed Reactions

In response to the deal, an athlete advocacy group called the College Football Players Association released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) criticizing the terms as subpar. “The athletes of the second most popular sport in America are being treated like children,” the group said. 

Across the industry, feelings vary about the deal. For athletes who may not have name recognition, a $600 check and opportunity to be part of a historic game is more than enough—but that arrangement undervalues more popular players.

The negotiation process for the deal itself was also different from the professional realm. Normally these types of group licensing deals are bargained by players’ unions. There’s no formal players’ union for college football players or any college athletes; however, a company called OneTeam Partners stepped in to fill that vacuum. (A lawsuit by another company, The Brandr Group, called into question which company had jurisdiction to negotiate on behalf of players. It has since been dropped.)

The fans won. 

The German Football League (DFL) has abandoned long-discussed plans to sell part of its media rights for roughly $1 billion to private equity, a decision made in the wake of increasingly strident and disruptive fan protests that included throwing objects on match fields such as tennis balls, chocolate coins, and remote-controlled cars filled with smoke flares.

CVC Capital Partners had been the only remaining bidder to invest after fellow finalist Blackstone dropped out of the process earlier this month. 

“It appears that continuing the process successfully is something that is no longer possible,” said DFL executive board spokesperson Hans-Joachim Watzke, who is also the president of the Bundesliga’s Borussia Dortmund. “German football is in the midst of a crucial test of its strength, and this topic has given rise to considerable conflict. … That conflict is increasingly putting match operations, specific matches, and thus the integrity of the competition at risk.”

The private equity effort—which would involve an upfront investment in exchange for up to 8% of future media and sponsorship revenues over the next two decades—had been intended to help boost the DFL financially, secure larger media rights deals around the world, and keep up with major entities in the sport such as England’s Premier League. 

Instead, the end of the plan represents a major escalation of fans’ power in European soccer that already has seen massive protests in recent years against clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Everton, and the original Super League. Numerous German matches experienced stoppages due to fan protests. Pro soccer in Germany has long featured a “50+1” ownership rule limiting the role and power of outside investors. Though the potential CVC deal would not have violated that provision, the possibility of outside investment was coldly received by fans from the start. 

“The comprehensive but very peaceful and very creative protests were ultimately the key to success,” said fan group Unsere Kurve.