If you were to start up EA Sports' "College Football 25" and College Football 25 Coins select the South Carolina team, you might notice the absence of a key player: senior running back Juju McDowell, the team's top returner at the position. This situation is expected to change soon. McDowell mentioned at South Carolina’s media day that he faced issues accessing his account to sign up for the game, which delayed his inclusion. However, once EA Sports verifies his identity, he will be added to the game roster.
Athletes were invited to opt into the game via an email sent in February, with a deadline in April for inclusion at launch. Over 14,000 players signed up, each receiving $600 and a copy of the game valued at $70. McDowell confirmed his rewards are on the way.
Despite not being in the game yet, McDowell has been playing "College Football 25" with his real-life teammates, choosing to explore other teams across the country. During a recent Gamecock Club tournament, freshman offensive lineman Torricelli Simpkins emerged as the champion, possibly providing a future challenge for McDowell.
The South Carolina running back room features McDowell and several other players, including sophomore Djay Braswell, freshman Matthew Fuller, and transfer players Raheim “Rocket” Sanders (Arkansas), Oscar Adaway III (North Texas), and Jawarn Howell (South Carolina State). McDowell describes the environment as a brotherhood, with the players helping each other towards their common goal as preseason practices begin.
"College Football 25" has been out for less than two weeks and has already achieved remarkable success. EA Sports reported that the game welcomed five million unique players in its first week, with over 500,000 participating in the EA Play trial. The game has generated $500 million in sales, a significant achievement for EA Sports.
The original EA college football series ran from 1998 to 2013, but was discontinued due to lawsuits, most notably from former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon. The lawsuits argued that the NCAA violated antitrust laws by not allowing athletes to share in revenues generated from the use of their NIL (name, image, and likeness) in broadcasts and video games.
Now, "College Football 25" marks the first time athletes are being compensated for their NIL in the game. More than 14,000 college football players opted in, surpassing EA's goal of 85 players per roster. EA Sports CEO Andrew Wilson highlighted the game’s successful launch and emphasized the company's focus on delivering bigger and more connected experiences.
This renewed success is a significant milestone, considering the game last sold in 2013, with about 1.5 million copies sold at the time. The current version of the game is designed to allow for updates to rosters throughout the season, ensuring that players like McDowell can be added as issues are resolved.
Meanwhile, Houston Christian University (HCU) is appealing a U.S. District Court decision denying its motion to intervene in the House v. NCAA antitrust case. The settlement, if certified, would see the NCAA and 32 Division I conferences pay $2.8 billion in damages over 10 years and permit schools to CFB 25 Coins for sale share up to $22 million annually with athletes. This settlement also aims to resolve two other antitrust cases against the NCAA.
