Return of 'NCAA Football' Video Game Unlikely Under NIL Recommendation, NCAA Working Group Says

The lack of group licensing allowed under the NCAA's new name, image and license recommendations would make video games and replica jerseys "unworkable."

The NCAA Board of Governors is moving toward allowing student-athletes to be compensated from their name, image and likeness, but EA's 'NCAA Football' video game is unlikely to make a return. 

The NCAA Board of Governors has moved toward allowing student-athletes to be paid for sponsorships and endorsement deals as early as the 2021-22 academic year. However, the co-chair of that group, Big East commissioner Val Ackerman, said the new guidelines would not allow student-athletes to be represented in video games with school licensing.

"It was the group’s conclusion that group licenses, which would combine school trademarks with student-athlete NIL in products like video games, replica jerseys and trading card collections are unworkable in college sports, largely because of the absence of a collective bargaining agency to manage the terms of group NIL use on behalf of the student-athletes," Ackerman said in a conference call on Wednesday. 

New NIL rules would not allow the use of school logos, trademarks or other intellectual property in any sponsorship initiatives, according to Ackerman. The lack of a union or bargaining unit makes group licensing in college sports "unworkable." 

Under the NCAA working group's NIL recommendations, student-athletes would be able to sell autographs and memorabilia and be paid for personal appearances. However, they would be banned from wearing school-branded apparel in personal endorsement deals. 

In order for 'NCAA Football' to make a return, the working group would need to amend its recommendations to the Board of Governors to include group licensing. The NIL rules would go into effect for the 2021-22 season if the NCAA passes legislation in January 2021.