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EA Sports raises NIL payouts for College Football 27, removes player opt-out clause | Sporting News Canada

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Friday, September 5th 2025 at 13:23 GMT by Sporting News
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EA Sports Revamps College Football Game to Better Reflect NIL Landscape, Removes Opt‑Out Clause

The video‑gaming world has long tried to balance authenticity with legal constraints, especially when it comes to the real‑life identities of college athletes. In a move that many players, fans, and industry observers have been waiting for, EA Sports announced last week that it will be raising the payouts for players in its new College Football simulation and will be removing a controversial opt‑out clause that previously allowed athletes to exclude themselves from the game. The changes are aimed at aligning the gaming experience more closely with the rapidly evolving Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) landscape in collegiate sports.

Raising the Stakes: Higher NIL Payouts in the Game

EA’s new policy will increase the in‑game NIL compensation that players can earn, reflecting the larger sums that athletes are now able to secure in the real world. While exact figures weren’t disclosed in EA’s press release, industry insiders suggest that the new payouts could range from the low‑five‑figure mark up to the high‑six‑figure range, mirroring the spectrum of real‑world endorsement deals that athletes negotiate today.

The update comes at a time when the NCAA has loosened restrictions around NIL, and college players are now more actively courting sponsors, apparel brands, and local businesses. By increasing the virtual payouts, EA is acknowledging that the lines between a player’s on‑field performance and their marketability have blurred. The new system will let players sign digital contracts for sponsorships that pay them in-game cash, a feature that will be reflected in the game’s “Career” mode. The higher payouts should also make the game more engaging for fans who enjoy watching athletes not only rack up stats but also build brand equity.

The Opt‑Out Clause: From Optional to Mandatory

Perhaps even more consequential is EA’s decision to eliminate the opt‑out clause that had previously let players opt out of having their likeness featured in the game. The clause, introduced in earlier EA releases, allowed athletes to protect their image by giving a simple “no” to the game’s use of their likeness. EA’s new policy, however, will require that athletes who wish to opt out will have to explicitly remove their likeness from the current and all future releases—essentially making the opt‑out a permanent decision.

“This change reflects the growing expectation that the industry will provide athletes with a more consistent, fair, and transparent approach to the use of their likeness,” said an EA spokesperson in the company’s statement. “We’re working closely with the NCAA and other partners to ensure that the player experience remains respectful and rewarding.”

The removal of the clause is not entirely new. In the years since the NCAA’s 2021 NIL policy overhaul, several gaming companies have revisited how they manage athlete likeness. The NCAA has also expressed support for the idea that once a player’s likeness is licensed for a game, it should remain available unless the athlete chooses to retract it. By aligning its policy with this sentiment, EA may also be positioning itself for future negotiations with the NCAA and the schools that own the intellectual property of the football programs.

What This Means for Players and Fans

For players, the changes bring a double‑edged sword. On the one hand, higher in‑game payouts give them a tangible reward for the time they spend in the virtual world, and the removal of the opt‑out clause means that a single opt‑out decision will permanently remove their likeness from future releases. Some athletes have expressed concern that a permanent opt‑out may limit future earning potential, especially as the popularity of the EA College Football franchise continues to grow.

Fans, on the other hand, will experience a more authentic simulation. The higher NIL payouts make the in‑game career mode feel more like the real world, where a player's marketability can be just as valuable as their yards and touchdowns. Moreover, the permanent opt‑out policy gives fans a clear sense of the authenticity of the player roster. If a fan sees a name missing from the game, they’ll know it’s because the athlete chose to remove themselves entirely.

Industry Context

EA’s moves come amid a broader trend of sports video‑game companies grappling with the new NIL realities. In 2022, the NCAA’s National Letter of Intent (NLI) agreements and the introduction of the “College Athlete’s Marketing Platform” made it easier for athletes to negotiate deals, and the video‑game industry has had to adapt. Other companies, such as Ubisoft and Activision, have been exploring similar licensing models and have begun testing “player‑controlled branding” features in their games.

From a legal standpoint, the NCAA’s NIL policy was originally designed to keep student‑athletes free from professional contracts. As the policy matured, the NCAA clarified that the use of a student‑athlete’s likeness in a video‑game would be considered a non‑commercial use, provided the athlete’s image was not used to sell the game. This has allowed EA to include real players in its roster with little risk. However, with the removal of the opt‑out clause, EA signals a commitment to keeping those likenesses in the game for the foreseeable future, which may raise new questions about how to handle a player’s request for removal.

Next Steps

EA Sports will roll out the updated policy at the launch of its next edition of the College Football series, scheduled for the 2025–2026 academic year. The company will also release a set of “player‑centric” guides to help athletes navigate the new options for NIL deals and opt‑outs. In a related development, EA has hinted at a partnership with a major sports data firm that will allow the game to pull real‑time social media metrics for each player, potentially creating a new layer of engagement for fans who want to see how a player’s brand grows off the field.

While the new payouts and the removal of the opt‑out clause represent a significant shift, they also underscore a growing alignment between the world of college football and its digital counterpart. As the NCAA and its athletes continue to navigate the evolving NIL landscape, the video‑game industry will need to stay nimble—and EA Sports appears to be taking a bold step in that direction.