EA Unveils 3 Cover Athletes for College Football 25

© Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

EA Sports has officially revealed the cover athletes for the highly anticipated College Football 25 game, with the standard edition featuring Colorado's Travis Hunter, Texas' Quinn Ewers and Michigan's Donovan Edwards. The Deluxe Edition features many players, and fans may be able to pick out someone from their favorite team. Both editions are available for pre-order now.

This is a major moment not only in sports video games but also in college football itself as fans have been yearning for the return of the beloved franchise for more than a decade. Since NCAA Football 14, the gaming community has lobbied for a new game featuring their favorite college teams and players, and now their dream has become a reality. EA Sports College Football 25 releases July 19.

After impressive seasons from all three of the honored athletes, this cover provides a snapshot of college football in the present. Edwards is coming off winning the 2023 National Championship, during which he scored 2 touchdowns. In Texas, Ewers led the Longhorns to their first College Football Playoff appearance while throwing 22 touchdowns on the season. Hunter has a game that speaks for itself as a two-way player, and the Buffaloes are one of the most discussed teams in all of college football. Just like in any sports video game, being selected as a cover athlete is a great honor and an award in itself.

History of EA College Football Games

The EA franchise garnered a cult following for giving fans a chance to get closer to their favorite college football programs. When the studio stopped producing the games, there was nothing short of an outcry. Capturing school spirit, traditions, game day atmosphere, recruiting and the history of football, the franchise became a cornerstone of many people’s childhoods. The birth of the game so many people can't wait to see make its triumphant return came in 1993, with "Bill Walsh College Football."

Walsh, who was the Stanford Cardinal coach at the time, was supposed to be the John Madden of college football video games, with his name being used for the second game released in 1995. After the second release, the next two games were called "College Football USA 96" and "College Football USA 97," respectively. It is important to note that between each installment in the franchise, representation of different universities and players greatly expanded.

In 1998, the franchise changed titles again, becoming "NCAA Football 98," with "NCAA Football 99" following the next year. In 2000, it started following the full four-digit year format with "NCAA Football 2000," and each game followed this format until "NCAA Football 2005." After that, the game was titled NCAA Football, with the number being the last two digits of the year, until the final installment, NCAA Football 14.

When production of the games was stopped by EA, fans were heartbroken. The game company had no choice but to discontinue the franchise after being bombarded with a lawsuit over name, image and likeness (NIL) rights. Even if the players' names weren’t said explicitly, it was ruled that the players in the game resembled their real-life counterparts too closely. EA reached a settlement with the former college football players suing them, and the game was done just like that. NIL, which was a major issue back then, has become a focal point of college athletics today. With power going to the players with the new NIL rules, allowing them to make money off their name and brand, the door for the game's return swung open.

Now, in 2024, fans' dreams have become a reality, with EA Sports College Football 25 being released. The college football community has been buzzing since the game was initially teased, grasping at any information they could get. With the cover officially being revealed and more information coming by the week, the franchise that many love has finally returned. With Hunter, Ewers and Edwards being named the new faces of the game, they join iconic company in college football sports game covers.

Iconic EA College Football Covers

While to some it is only the cover of a video game, to others it is an iconic memory of their favorite college football idols. The cover reveal of any sports game is always a big deal and, as mentioned before, considered a great honor for the players included. Here are a few of the covers from games past:

Bill Walsh College Football

The first cover featured Walsh. The game was released in 1993 on the Super NES, Sega Genesis and Sega CD consoles.

NCAA Football 99

The cover of NCAA Football 99 featured Michigan’s Charles Woodson, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1997. Woodson went on to play 18 season in the NFL

NCAA Football 2005

With the release of NCAA Football 2005, Pittsburgh’s Larry Fitzgerald had the honor of being on the cover. Fitzgerald was a great WR in the NFL as well, playing with the Arizona Cardinals.

NCAA Football 07

One of the more iconic covers came with the release of NCAA Football 07, which pictured legendary Heisman winner Reggie Bush of USC.

NCAA Football 11

NCAA Football 11 featured the exciting Tim Tebow of the Florida Gators, representing Florida’s prolific run. Recently, a documentary series on Urban Meyer's and Tebow's Gators was released, which gives this cover more layers.

NCAA Football 13

The most iconic cover was released with NCAA Football 13, featuring Byalor's Robert Griffin III and the legendary Barry Sanders. This cover is the most detailed and unique of the whole franchise.

NCAA Football 14

The last EA Sports college football game cover was released with NCAA Football 14, featuring Michigan’s Denard Robinson.

With the new cover revealed, more information is still to come on EA Sports College Football 25. With the release confirmed by EA for July 19th, fans should be excited for this monumental moment in college football. Leading up to the release of the game and the start of the college football season, there is plenty to look forward to for college football enthusiasts.