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SALT LAKE CITY — Everyone rush out and grab NCAA '14, because it might be the last college football game ever produced.
The long running EA sports production of NCAA football will not have their contract renewed with the NCAA, at least not as a whole. In a press release the NCAA announced their decision to not renew the license, which ends this year.
The NCAA sited the current business climate and costs of litigation as reasons to not renew their partnership. In essence the reasoning behind it is the Ed O'Bannon case. While the release doesn't name O'Bannon specifically it is easy to connect the dots that his case against the NCAA has set this in motion.
The basis of the case is that O'Bannon a former UCLA basketball player is suing the NCAA for use of his likeness. What the idea comes down to is that all NCAA student-athletes sign a waiver that says the NCAA can use their likeness to a certain extent, but they won't be compensated and can't make money off of it.
It is a lot more complicated than that, but that is the basic idea behind it. Former Arizona State quarterback Sam Keller had a suit against EA that was merged with O'Bannon. Other athletes have joined in and the suit is now a class-action lawsuit.
So, while the Utah State Aggies have a roster that includes QB #16, the "likeness" of Chuckie Keeton is what is being implied.
The NCAA goes on to say in the release that "Member colleges and universities license their own trademarks and other intellectual property for the video game." This essentially means that colleges could all choose to agree to make a game with EA, or any other game company, to create another line of games; The games just won't be called NCAA football.
The sports franchise has run for 20 years, starting as Bill Walsh college football in 1993 and becoming NCAA Football in 1998.
