EA Sports has more than doubled payments for college football players appearing in College Football 26 from $600 to $1,500.
As reported by The Athletic, the sports segment of The New York Times, EA is expected to pay $16.5 million overall for name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for players appearing in the game.
This does not include additional payments to ambassadors and cover athletes, nor the deluxe edition of College Football 26 given to those who opt to appear in the game.
In January, EA Sports told The Athletic it had “no news” on changes to its player compensation model.
A month later, NIL group Pathway was founded and began obtaining NIL rights for more than 400 players, providing each with an upfront payment of $1,500.
“From the beginning, we’ve designed our NIL program to be accessible, direct, voluntary, and equitable for all, offering the same base-level compensation to every Football Bowl Subdivision athlete that opts-in using the OneTeam platform and Compass NIL app,” said EA Sports vice president Sean O’Brien.
“This approach empowers each athlete to make their own decisions. College sports are growing and changing, and our focus at EA Sports is on continuing to put athletes first as we bring them in game in College Football 26 and beyond.”
Pathway president Casey Schwab added: “This is great news for college football players and aligns with our vision at Pathway, which is to provide the most professional, transparent, and legitimate NIL program for college athletes.
“We look forward to working with EA and others to achieve our long-term goals.”
College Football 25 was the first time college athletes were paid for their likeness to appear in-game. EA Sports offered over 11,000 players $600 for their NIL. Players were previously prohibited from being paid due to NCAA rules.
In 2023, the College Football Players Association boycotted the low pay of an estimated $500 per player compared to the tens of thousands of dollars paid to NFL players, according to CFBPA vice president Justin Falcinelli.