A father and his son sat in a Michigan basement decorated in maize and blue.
They would connect over a football video game. One that had a story mode which would take the 7-year-old to a college dorm room, where he would receive letters from fans, see the campus newspaper tease a championship, and view a list of Heisman candidates on his computer screen. If he played well, his name could even appear there.
It wasn't real. But who's to say it couldn't be?
The father, Bill Swartout, says, "We would always joke, because he was a big kid, that ‘Hey, maybe you’re going to be on there someday.’"
Now, over a decade later, that 7-year-old, Brayden Swartout, is an offensive lineman at Central Michigan, living the story mode in real life.
Many versions of that game, which haven't been made for over a decade, are gathering dust in basements alongside outdated gaming systems. It's the inevitable destiny of old discs, gaming cartridges, RCA connector wires, and similar items. However, if you blow on them, the dust clears to reveal a lasting cultural phenomenon that, in this modern world, is making a comeback.
MORE THAN A VIDEO GAME
For a generation of young people, EA Sports’ college football games fueled their ambitions in the sport. From the early versions in the 1990s to the immersive experiences in the 2000s that revolutionized create-a-player modes, the games became a must-have for sports and video-game enthusiasts.
As they became more popular, so did the voices saying that college athletes depicted in the game should be compensated. This seemed absurd in the student-athlete era. But as opinions changed, it started to make sense.
Before 2021, college athletes were not allowed by the NCAA to make money from their brand, commonly known as their name, image, and likeness.
The video-game developer attempted for years to distinguish in-game rosters from real-life players. “Quarterback No. 10” remembers this clearly.
“I remember when I was in the game. Obviously in high school and all that you want to be in the game, but then when you get to college you’re in the game, and I’m No. 10 from Baylor, before NIL, and I am No. 10,” Robert Griffin III, one of the game’s 2013 cover athletes and the 2011 Heisman winner, told The Associated Press.
“And that’s my name, ‘Quarterback No. 10 from Baylor,’” he says. “But, I’m like, white with a buzz cut fade and no arm sleeve on my arm and I’m from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. They completely tried to change the character just so they don’t have to pay the guy. Or say, ‘Oh no, that’s not his name, image and likeness, he’s not even the right color.’ But everybody knew who No. 10 from Baylor was.”
Ultimately, EA Sports gave up. And so the franchise remained inactive for 11 years after its last version in 2013.
IT’S BACK, FOR REAL THIS TIME
Society has changed a lot since the 2010s. So has Swartout’s basement, now decorated in maroon and gold.
Gamers’ insatiable appetites for immersive sports video games haven't changed as much. And with the NCAA’s decision to allow college athletes to profit from their brand, the time had come.
In 2021, EA Sports announced it would bring back the franchise. The game is set to be released this summer, with more details to be revealed in May. Not much information has been shared yet, but the players’ names and appearance will be real.
Griffin believes that NCAA football is the best game ever made. Many kids who played the game wanted to see themselves grow and develop into the players they were creating.
EA Sports has offered Football Bowl Subdivision players at least $600 and a copy of EA Sports College Football 25 to be in the game. Over 10,000 players have agreed to be featured.
The game will try to stand out from other sports games in the market, as none of them have focused on college football before.
Nicolette Aduama, from Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society, says that video games have evolved a lot based on how society has evolved, with many different modes and options.
OUT WITH THE OLD
EA’s 2006 college football game was huge in the sports video game world, immersing gamers into an athlete’s life. It had a great soundtrack. One of its main competitors in the early 2000s was NBA Ballers.
The 2006 game had some issues, including a feature that hasn't aged well. In the create-a-player’s dorm room, there was a picture of a woman that changed as the player performed better on the field.
Eli Mouser, 21, of Russellville, Alabama, recalls questioning why the girlfriend in the game became more attractive when the player won more games.
In later editions, EA Sports removed this feature and added another where gamers had to pick a major and keep their GPA up to compete on the field. The developer has also made efforts to promote diversity in its other games.
Aduama emphasizes that girls are gamers too, and the industry should break stereotypes and increase exposure.
EA Sports is involving female athletes in the game through its ambassador program, which pays athletes to promote it.
Griffin suggests that a women's college basketball game could be very successful and mentions specific athletes who could be featured.
Given the game’s inspiring features, it’s easy to wonder: What kind of impact will the new version have on preteens who may become college football players in the future? What dreams from 2024 will come to life in this highly immersive game and contribute to athletic success?
For Mouser, it was difficult growing up in Alabama as a Tennessee fan. EA Sports’ college football games provided him with a way to express his support for Tennessee while surrounded by fans of the opposing team. Like Bill and Brayden Swartout, the game also allowed him to connect with his father.
“I constantly annoy my friends,” he explains, referring to the virtual world as his “Roman Empire.” “They say, ‘Dude, you're not an actual football coach.’ And I respond, ‘This is significant to me, okay?’”
