As the anticipation reaches the crescendo for the return of the EA Sports college football video game franchise, UCLA is among the programs around the country that will host an official launch party next week.
Fans will have the opportunity to play the new “College Football 25” game alongside Bruins players in a ticketed event hosted by the NIL collective Men of Westwood.
The event will take place next Tuesday, when the game’s early access launches, from 4-8 p.m. at the Wasserman Football Center.
In a release announcing the event, Men of Westwood founder and CEO Ken Graiwer said the launch of the game is “a huge milestone” after players in previous iterations were not compensated for unauthorized use of their likeness.
Graiwer said the event will also serve as a celebration for fans who have waited more than a decade since the game’s last installment, “NCAA Football 14.”
“We couldn’t let the moment pass without a celebration,” Graiwer said, “and this event is a great way to bring fans and the football program closer together ahead of an exciting season.”
The game series was shelved after former UCLA men’s basketball player Ed O’Bannon’s antitrust class action lawsuit against the NCAA and Collegiate Licensing Company in regard to NIL use for commercial purposes in the EA Sports “NCAA Basketball” series.
The lawsuit, which was originally filed in July 2009, was among the more significant moments that slowly led to NIL compensation in today’s college sports landscape.
“College Football 25” marks the first time active players’ names and their images will be used in the game, which was previously released under the annual “NCAA Football” title from 1998 to 2013. In previous versions, the jersey numbers and positions of players were used in place of their names, with nearly identical height, weight and home states used as part of each individual avatar’s player bio details.
In February, quarterback Ethan Garbers was among the first group of players in the nation to announce their inclusion in the return of the game. According to The Athletic, more than 11,000 players representing 134 FBS teams will be included in the game at launch.
Players who opted into the game, which is available on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S next-gen consoles, will receive $600 and a free copy of the video game ($70 value for the standard edition). Up to 85 players per school will initially appear on the game’s rosters.
Throughout the spring and summer, EA Sports and programs around the country have collaborated on teases for the game’s release. Footage of Bruins running back T.J. Harden in the game was used as part of the game’s official first look in mid-May.
Earlier this month, former player and current UCLA defensive analyst Shea Pitts asked players on-camera to project the ratings of their personal player avatars in the game.
Fans interested in attending the event can choose from one of two ticket packages.
General admission is $99 and begins at 6 p.m., while the VIP package is $199 and begins at 4 p.m.
General admission includes access to the team’s auditorium to watch UCLA players play the game against one another. There will also be dinner in the team’s facility, autograph and photo opportunities with the players, as well as a custom EA “College Football 25”/UCLA-branded poster and event T-shirt.
The VIP package includes all of the general admission perks, in addition to two-hour early access to the event, the opportunity to play the game with the UCLA players, a tour of the facility led by a coach or player, a personal UCLA football photoshoot and more intimate group autograph sessions with the players.
Single and group tickets are available, with all proceeds going toward NIL opportunities for UCLA football players.
