‘College Football 25’ Is Here and Sports Fans Are Beyond Ecstatic
![Early access for ‘College Football 25’ began Monday while the worldwide launch will be this Friday. Early access for ‘College Football 25’ began Monday while the worldwide launch will be this Friday.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1286,h_723,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/si/01j2y3wn4dmmfem7zcsj.png)
1. The wait is over.
After an 11-year hiatus, college football fans finally have a new video game to play.
For those who never stopped believing...
— EASPORTSCollege (@EASPORTSCollege) July 15, 2024
🔗: https://t.co/XThgmoRGBc pic.twitter.com/itADCk482F
EA Sports’ College Football 25 dropped Monday afternoon and the reviews have been stellar. So have over-the-top reactions to having a college football game back in the mix.
To say college football fans are happy about College Football 25 would be a gross understatement. Here’s a sampling from some fans who took to Twitter to share their experiences with the game on Day 1.
I remember being a kid and staying up till 3am playing the NCAA Football games.
— Garret Price (@DynastyPrice) July 16, 2024
Now that I am an adult with a wife, 2 kids, a job and other adult responsibilities… I stayed up till 4am playing College Football 25. #CollegeFootball25
Everyone at work today after staying up all night to play College Football 25 😴 pic.twitter.com/7IsoVS4WPC
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) July 16, 2024
I want to applaud all the 30+ year olds who were up way too late last night playing #CFB25
— Hope (@HopeVidyas) July 16, 2024
You are absolutely feeling it this morning and godspeed getting through the day 🫡
Remember ladies, him playing CFB25 is not a red flag. The red flag is if he’s playing Dynasty with a big-time program. Shows he doesn’t want to build something.
— Brian Coulter (@PhilaBCoulter) July 15, 2024
Grown men to a bunch of 12-year-olds when CFB 25 drops tomorrow pic.twitter.com/o7feBx25Ay
— Fitz (@FitzGSN_) July 14, 2024
When #CFB25 dropping but you got no PTO left pic.twitter.com/LPLX7eEwxe
— RG (@RG_Madden) July 12, 2024
All of us leaving work at 4:00 today to play College Football 25:
— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 15, 2024
pic.twitter.com/f4DQYSmkLT
How I looked when NCAA Football 14 came out vs. How I look now for College Football 25 🤷🏿♂️🤷🏿♂️#EACollegeFootball #CFB25 #RetiredArmy pic.twitter.com/gcDyWSjd7F
— USR (@UncleSamsReject) July 15, 2024
My wife is annoyed I spent $30 extra to play CFB25 3 days early. But I’m actually saving more than $30 by playing the game all week instead of taking her out on a date so it’s actually a financially responsible decision.
— UteManPHX (@UteManPHX) July 15, 2024
My family dragging me away from my console after playing CFB 25 for 14 straight hours pic.twitter.com/pH53n97fVw
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) July 15, 2024
2. Singer Ingrid Andress is the story of the day after a hard-to-believe rendition of the national anthem at Monday’s Home Run Derby.
Uhhh... that anthem was interesting. Sung by Ingrid Andress pic.twitter.com/zsjQi84zEy
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) July 16, 2024
I had never heard of Andress before last night, but this was the most shocking thing I’ve learned about her: She’s been nominated for four Grammys!
3. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a column about the Yankees’ play-by-play voice, Michael Kay, being upset about an ad that ran on his radio show calling the Mets booth of Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling the best in baseball.
Kay was adamant that he’s part of the best booth in baseball, but as I wrote, the Yankees don’t even have a real booth because they have a slew of analysts.
I tell you all this to set up this item from Awful Announcing. The site polled their readers to grade each Major League Baseball team’s local TV booths. The Yankees’ booth finished 22nd and the Mets’ booth finished first.
4. Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz got to meet his favorite player, Derek Jeter, on Monday and the result was a sweet, wholesome moment.
Elly De La Cruz finally got to meet Derek Jeter, his childhood idol 🥹
— MLB (@MLB) July 15, 2024
(via @MLBONFOX) pic.twitter.com/1qMD0DY2lf
Jeter had a different reaction to Colin Cowherd when the radio host was completely wrong about the timeline of the Hall of Famer’s career.
Derek Jeter fact-checking Colin Cowherd in real time pic.twitter.com/HBeKXHY6eF
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 15, 2024
Luckily, I made no such mistakes during Jeter’s recent appearance on the SI Media Podcast and we had a wonderful conversation.
5. “Look at me!”
Baker Mayfield had a great reaction to getting drug tested 11 times in one season when he was with the Browns.
Nobody is getting piss tested more than @bakermayfield @PardonMyTake pic.twitter.com/s4zYzFgwNY
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 15, 2024
6. The latest episode of SI Media With Jimmy Traina features an interview with Sports Business Journal NFL reporter Ben Fischer.
Fischer covered the antitrust trial in which a jury ordered the NFL to pay $4.7 billion for violating antitrust laws in distributing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games on a premium subscription service. How much will Sunday Ticket customers get and when? What are the NFL’s chances to win an appeal? What does the verdict mean for how the NFL will distribute games in the future? Will the NFL ever sell single-team or single-game packages? What revelations came out of the trial?
Fischer also talks about what's going on with the NFL Network, the cancellation of the popular Around the NFL podcast, moving Good Morning Football out of New York, and more.
Following Fischer, Sal Licata from WFAN and SNY joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week’s topics include Joe Burrow’s idea for the NFL schedule, the backlash aimed at LeBron James for playing with Bronny James, the Yankees’ woes and much more.
You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina below or on Apple and Spotify.
You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated‘s YouTube channel.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Happy 56th birthday to the great Barry Sanders.
The highlight reel speaks for itself 🔥
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) November 23, 2019
Barry Sanders is one of 12 running backs selected to the #NFL100 All-Time Team 👏 (via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/xe3BdepmgQ
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram.