EA Sports presents $1,500 for student athletes to look in College Football 26
By Developer expected to disburse $16.5 million in total for the name, image, and likeness of athletes
EA Sports has more than doubled the payments for college football athletes featured in College Football 26 from $600 to $1,500.
According to a report from The Athletic, the sports division of The New York Times, EA is projected to invest $16.5 million in total for name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for the athletes included in the game.
This amount does not cover additional payments to ambassadors and cover athletes, nor the premium edition of College Football 26 provided to those who choose to appear in the game.
In January, EA Sports informed The Athletic that it had “no updates” concerning changes to its player compensation model.
A month later, NIL organization Pathway was established and began acquiring NIL rights for over 400 players, offering each an initial payment of $1,500.
“From the outset, we’ve designed our NIL program to be accessible, straightforward, voluntary, and fair for all, providing the same base-level payment to every Football Bowl Subdivision athlete who opts-in via the OneTeam platform and Compass NIL app,” stated EA Sports VP Sean O’Brien.
“This strategy enables every athlete to make their own choices. College athletics are evolving, and our priority at EA Sports is to consistently prioritize athletes as we include them in College Football 26 and beyond.”
Pathway president Casey Schwab remarked: “This is fantastic news for college football players and aligns with our mission at Pathway, which is to deliver the most professional, transparent, and legitimate