On Feb. 2, 2021, the gaming world was shaken. After nearly a decade without a release, Electronic Arts (EA) announced that the infamous National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football video game was set to return in the summer! Except, it didn’t. The game kept getting pushed, leaving many wondering if it was ever really coming back.

With the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) to college sports, EA, the game’s developer, faced a new set of challenges. EA had to now gain clearance from student-athletes to put them in the game. Confusion regarding these regulations has undoubtedly delayed the game, which is now set to release this summer, over three years after it was expected.

Earlier this month, EA released the first official teaser for the game, and college football fans nationwide were ecstatic to hear that the once-successful franchise would officially return to the gaming sphere. Student-athletes who opt in will receive $600 and a free copy of the game. This might not seem like much compared to other lucrative NIL deals, but with 134 Division I FBS schools–each with 85 players on their teams–that $600 turns into nearly $7 million, a hefty price tag to just include players in the game.

Previous installments of NCAA Football–now renamed EA College Football–did not include the actual players, just nameless lookalikes. This time, it will be different.

“EA has done a good job prioritizing the players’ rights,” said sophomore Greg Mackintosh, an avid gamer. “They had to use just jersey numbers in the last game, so I’m excited to see the actual players.”

Players have begun opting into the game, posting graphics to their social media accounts showing their excitement for the franchise’s return. Big-time players like Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Texas’s Quinn Ewers and Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard have already opted in, but some questions have arisen as to whether some players believe they are worth more than the $600.

Like the players, gamers and college football fans are also pumped for the upcoming release. Sophomore Luke Sheehan played the last installment of the game, NCAA 14, when he was younger, calling it his “childhood game. My brother and I would play all the time.”

Sheehan said NCAA 14 was “the best football game I've ever played.” He is excited to see what changes EA will make to the new game, but also what will be able to bring back some of the fond memories he made playing NCAA 14.

There are many moving parts to the game and new aspects of college football that EA will have to address in order to satisfy their customers. This has proven to be a difficult task with their reputation from the National Football League’s “Madden” series. It is safe to say that, especially with the extended wait period, EA needs to knock this one out of the park.

And no, before you ask, Santa Clara will not be a playable team in the game. But an alluring feature where you can create your own school and team will allow you to fantasize about the return of a Bronco football squad.

So yeah, it’s really happening. College football fans: get ready to start screaming at your TV a month or two earlier this year. It’s still ‘just a game’; but is it ever really just a game?