EA exec confident NCAA Football series will make a comeback

Published Nov. 15, 2016 3:45 p.m. ET

Pete Blackburn

With college football season about to get fully underway, it's another year without the now-defunct NCAA Football video game franchise from EA Sports. The beloved series was abruptly discontinued in 2013 but there may be light at the end of the tunnel for fans in mourning.

EA Chief Competition Officer Peter Moore recently spoke to IGN and briefly discussed a potential revival of the franchise, which is sorely missed by college football fans and gamers worldwide. Moore seems optimistic about a return, though he doesn't seem to have a specific date or timeline in mind.

“It was a really sad day and we said, ‘We just can't do this anymore,’” Moore told IGN's Ryan McCaffrey. “And one day I know we'll be back.”

The series was discontinued three years ago following the release of NCAA Football 14, mainly due to lawsuits that accused EA and the NCAA of using and benefiting off player likenesses without providing compensation to those players for use of their likeness. The game didn't include the names of student athletes but did copy many of their appearance and equipment traits, including jersey numbers.

Last July, a judge ruled against EA and the NCAA in an anti-trust lawsuit. The settlement forced EA/NCAA to pay out $60 million, with more than 29,000 players who filed claims receiving an average of $1,200.

If the series indeed does make a comeback, it will obviously have to bring some significant changes to avoid further legal issues.