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EA Sports Gives False Hope For NCAA Football Revival
It's been a year and a half since the official NCAA Football Facebook page posted an update. Today, EA posted something that had fans excited for a split second. But, no, NCAA Football isn't coming back, at least not yet.
The post features a short video of a heartbeat. Fans hoped that meant the series was coming back to life.
Unfortunately, that's not the case. EA has since added a note that this refers to the NCAA championship game between Alabama and Clemson tonight. "Our heart still beats for the big game... #NationalChampionship," the post now says.
Legal issues stand between publishers and NCAA sports games. Courts found in favor of student athletes, awarding a $60 million settlement to those whose likenesses appeared in games.
For more on the legal entanglements that led to the NCAA deciding not to renew the EA Sports contract, check out a feature on the subject from 2015.
Update: EA has issued a statement on the matter. "We have no new plans or announcements to make regarding the EA SPORTS NCAA Football series," the publisher says. "Today’s National Championship game reminds us more than ever that the hearts in our community still beat for college football."
[Source: EA Sports NCAA Football on Facebook]
Our Take
EA made a tactical error here. There are many football fans eager for the return of NCAA Football. False hope isn't a way to please consumers.
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