Set to launch worldwide on July 19, a full reveal of the modes and features of EA Sports College Football 25 was announced on Friday.

Dynasty and Road To Glory modes will be available in College Football 25, according to a release. Those two modes will allow players “to construct their own powerhouse program as a created coach or vie for the Heisman as a player” in what the video game introduces as CampusIQ, which will be “a suite of features that brings to life the true depth of college football through wide open, fast-paced gameplay across all 134 FBS schools in all areas of the game.”

READ: ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery introduce Venu Sports streaming service

Over 10,000 players have opted into College Football 25, it was announced in March. Any student-athlete who opts in and has their name, image and likeness used will receive $600 and a copy of the video game.

College Football 25 will also offer “the all-new Road to the College Football Playoff and College Football Ultimate Team” that will “bring fresh online experiences and ways to play.”

“EA SPORTS College Football is BACK! We’ve felt the passion and anticipation of college football fans every step of the way since we first announced this game, and we’re ecstatic to finally be able to show everyone what we’ve been building,” EA Sports SVP and Group GM Daryl Holt stated in a release. “College Football 25 is built with authenticity at its core, inspired by experiences our fans have loved from our games, and fully evolved to reflect modern college football – all of which will immerse them in the sights, sounds, and true-to-life gameplay of the sport they love.”

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EA Sports unveiled the cover of College Football 25 on Thursday, showcasing Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Colorado defensive back/wide receiver Travis Hunter. They will star on the covers of the Standard and Deluxe editions.

“Donovan, Quinn and Travis are extraordinary talents who impressed and entertained millions of college football fans on the field last season and are poised to do so again this year,” Holt stated in a release. “We’re proud to be able to incorporate thousands of current athletes in College Football 25, and featuring this trio of playmakers and their iconic college programs on the cover is a perfect fit as we usher in a new era for EA SPORTS and college football. I can’t wait for the world to learn more about the game tomorrow.”

ESPN broadcasters such as Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will “call marquee matchups,” along with other broadcast teams such as Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer and David Pollack will comprise the virtual booth and “take the mic for all other games.”

Among the gameplay features include Homefield Advantage, which will allow players to “through distractions like screen shaking, missing pre-play icons, and moving play art.” Additional features consist of Pre-Snap Recognition and the Wear & Tear System, which means virtual player stamina is affected by more play so it will be important to “manage your players’ health, limit fatigue, assess risk of injury, and avoid on-field mistakes by using strategic substitutions to ensure your players are at their best when it counts the most.”

The traditions within college football that make it one of a kind will be immersed in College Football 25. Along with team mascots and fight songs, the video game will include “unique team run-outs, rivalry rituals, synchronized crowd-chants, loudness meters as well as real game-day audio.”

READ: Colorado-Nebraska primetime kickoff announced for Week 2 matchup on NBC

Dynasty and Road To Glory modes are also offered in the video game alongside Road to the College Football Playoff, where players will “experience a new way to play competitively across consoles” and “earn rank by upsetting the toughest opponents and securing the votes you need to progress and level up divisions,” as well as College Football Ultimate Team.

College Football Ultimate Team will allow players to “build your dream team of college football stars and legends” in Solo Challenges or H2H seasons, and they can test their skill across consoles “in more competitive formats like College Football Ultimate Team Champs and Champs Gauntlet.”

EA Sports College Football 25 is available for pre-order now. According to Matt Brown of Extra Points, the video game will not be available for PC at launch. EA Sports is also offering an MVP bundle on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S that will include deluxe editions of College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25 “with 3-day early access and unlocks a multitude of benefits across both titles.”

The post EA Sports College Football 25 features, gameplay shared in full reveal appeared first on Saturday Glory.

EA Sports announced Monday on social media that “10,000+” student-athletes “are in the game.” It was announced in February that any player who opts in and has their name, image and likeness used in the game will receive at least $600 and a copy of “College Football 25.”

READ: 5 takeaways from the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine 

“10k and counting… pretty pretttyyy good,” @EASPORTSCollege posted on X.

All 134 Football Bowl Subdivision schools will be available to play in the new video game.

READ: Texas WR Xavier Worthy breaks 40-yard dash record with 4.21 time at NFL Combine

ESPN broadcasters such as Rece Davis and Kirk Herbstreit will make up “the voices” of “College Football 25.”

If a player doesn’t opt into the “College Football 25” video game, then “a generic avatar based on the traditional strength or weakness of a position over the past decade for that school” will be created by EA Sports, according to ESPN.

The post EA Sports announces 10K players have opted in to ‘College Football 25’ appeared first on Saturday Glory.

College football players around the country shared on social media Thursday their participation in the upcoming EA Sports video game “College Football 25.”

EA Sports confirmed Thursday that all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams will be available to play in the new game.

READ: Reports: CFP discusses 14-team Playoff possibilities

More information about the game will be available in May, according to a release.

Players such as Michigan’s Will Johnson and Ohio State transfer Quinshon Judkins posted on X a graphic designed in their team’s colors promoting the video game.

ESPN broadcasters such as Rece Davis and Kirk Herbstreit shared posts confirming they’ll also appear as “one of the voices” of the game. Herbstreit posted “I’m so excited to FINALLY announce that I’m part of @EASPORTSCollege. I’m proud to be a partner and one of the voices of the game once again – my 14th year in that role.”

According to Michael Rothstein of ESPN, any player who opts in and has their name, image and likeness used in the game will receive at least $600 and a copy of “College Football 25.”

Additional opportunities such as advertisements, promotion, social media posts and other avenues will be available for players to have a chance to make more, according to ESPN.

READ: Alabama announces JaMarcus Shephard, Nick Sheridan join offensive coaching staff

No Football Championship Subdivision school will be available to play when the game launches, according to ESPN.

If a player doesn’t opt into the “College Football 25” video game, then “a generic avatar based on the traditional strength or weakness of a position over the past decade for that school” will be created by EA Sports, according to ESPN.

According to Ryan Kryska of The Associated Press, users who could create and add players of real-life college football players who did not opt into the “College Football 25” video game will be blocked from doing so.

The post ‘I’m in the game’: CFB players share their participation in upcoming EA Sports ‘College Football 25’ appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Nick Saban brought prestige upon the University of Alabama. 

Long before he arrived in Tuscaloosa, Saban was building a coaching dynasty. It wouldn’t be realized for some time after he started his coaching career, though it wouldn’t have happened any other way. 

Saban started his head coaching career at Toledo on Dec. 22, 1989. He went 9-2 in his lone season before heading back to the NFL where he’d already spent two years with the Houston Oilers from 1988-89. 

And 35 years later, on Jan. 10, his retirement shook the college football world. 

“I don’t think there’s any good time especially when you’re a coach because once you’re a coach you think you’re going to be a coach forever,” Saban told Rece Davis of ESPN. “But I actually thought that in hiring coaches, recruiting players, that my age started to become a little bit of an issue. People wanted assurances that I would be here for three years, five years, whatever, and that got harder and harder for me to be honest about.” 

After a season in which Alabama won the Southeastern Conference Championship following a 4^th and 31 conversion at Auburn and a dethroning of Georgia’s 29-game winning streak, Saban said last season “was grueling.” 

“It was a real grind for us to come from where we started to where we got to,” Saban said. “Took a little, little more out of me than usual, and when people mention the health issue, it was really just the grind of can you do this the way you want to do it? Can you do it the way you’ve always done it, and be able to sustain it and do it for the entire season? And if I couldn’t make a commitment to do that in the future, the way I think I have to do it, I thought maybe this was the right time based on those two sets of circumstances. That, like I said, there’s never a good time. But I thought maybe this was the right time.” 

Saban gave no indication prior to the 2023 season that it might be his last as head coach. But after his eighth appearance in the College Football Playoff, Saban decided it was the right time to retire. 

He said his role “was a little different this year” in terms of coaching, noting that he spent more time focusing on the defense. 

“Had to be more involved with the defense, that took a little more time, put a little more stress on me, made me feel like, maybe I wasn’t doing as good a job as I needed to in other parts of our team,” Saban said. “I just have a high standard for how I do things. And if I can’t, if I don’t feel like I’m living up to that standard, I’m really disappointed.”

Over the past several years in particular, college football has seen notable drastic change involving aspects such as the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness. 

None of those aspects had an effect on Saban’s decision to retire, he said. 

“You know, I’ve always been one that no matter what’s happened through the years, whether they went no huddle and you had to adapt to it, they threw RPOs and you had to adapt to it, we had a changing environment in college football,” Saban said. “My thing was always don’t complain about it, try to figure out what the best solution is so that you can compete well in whatever the environment is. And that’s always the approach that I’ve taken and the situation and circumstances that we’re in. But I will be dedicated to college football and the future of college football and trying to make that sport — as well as other sports and collegiate athletics and whether they’re revenue producing or not because I think they all create opportunities for lots of people — I’m going to be an advocate for trying to make the game as good as it can be.” 

It took conversations with his wife, Miss Terry, and numerous student-athletes before Saban settled on his decision to retire. 

Saban said conversations with players such as Malachi Moore and Caleb Downs “were probably the most difficult” because of the special relationships he’s forged over time. 

Saban said the areas he’d like to see growth is around the participation aspect of college athletics and to “improve the quality of life of the participants.” In being an advocate for student-athletes, Saban can assume that role immediately. 

Saban isn’t the only legendary coach to leave his post. In the NFL, Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll left their head coaching positions with the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, respectively, after more than a decade at the helm. 

Saban said he’s noticed the change sweeping across all levels of football, and to him, he sees how special it is. 

“I think it’s a tribute because I think it’s much more difficult to sustain success than it is to build a program, to take a 3-8 team and in three or four years make it a successful program,” Saban said. “I think to do it for a long time because people don’t react well to success. They react much better to failure. They’re more willing to change their ways, they’re more willing to develop the habits they need to develop to be successful. But when you’ve climbed the mountain successfully several times you become the mountain so therefore everybody’s shooting at you, everybody wants to beat you, everybody circles that game on their schedule as this is the game that we want to make sure we’re ready for and win.” 

So while Saban will enter retirement and former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer will succeed him, it’s not like Saban won’t still be around.

He’ll have an office at Alabama and a chance to be around the program almost as much as he has been. Saban wants to still be part of college football, and the Crimson Tide are affording him that opportunity.

And in the many opportunities Saban has created and taken, he still wants to inspire change and make an impact on someone else.

“We want to continue to do those types of things in the community, build houses for people,” Saban said. “It’s just part of having compassion for other people and trying to be helpful, and one of the things that make me sort of most proud is the number of players, whether it was Tua (Tagovailoa), Mac Jones, Bryce (Young), whoever it was, that I saw them working on houses for Miss Terry on a Saturday to build a house for some needy family, and now they all have foundations themselves and they’re dedicated to helping other people. So that’s one of my proudest moments as a coach that because those guys were involved in helping people here and doing things in the community that had an impact to help someone else have a better quality of life, they chose to do that in their future.” 

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