NCAA Ends Football Contract With EA Sports

There will be an NCAA Football 15 released next summer. The NCAA is pulling out of an exclusive contract with EA Sports, and it is not expected another company will be able to pick up the contract any time soon. Via the NCAA offices...

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"The NCAA has made the decision not to enter a new contract for the license of its name and logo for the EA Sports NCAA Football video game. The current contract expires in June 2014, but our timing is based on the need to provide EA notice for future planning. As a result, the NCAA Football 2014 video game will be the last to include the NCAA’s name and logo. We are confident in our legal position regarding the use of our trademarks in video games. But given the current business climate and costs of litigation, we determined participating in this game is not in the best interests of the NCAA.

The NCAA has never licensed the use of current student-athlete names, images or likenesses to EA. The NCAA has no involvement in licenses between EA and former student-athletes. Member colleges and universities license their own trademarks and other intellectual property for the video game. They will have to independently decide whether to continue those business arrangements in the future."

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The NCAA and EA Sports appear to be in a losing fight against former student athletes. The lawsuit headed up by former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon has been picking up steam and appears to have enough legs to run away with a landmark court victory against the NCAA and EA Sports.