EA Sports doesn't always get everyone's name, image, and likeness into games. Even with NIL paving the way for the College Football franchise to return, not everyone's on board. That includes coaches, and Mario Cristobal, Kirk Ferentz, Bronco Mendenhall, Frank Reich, Bill Belichick, Tyson Helton, Charles Kelly, Trent Dilfer, Bryant Vincent, Jason Eck, Mark Carney, and Deion Sanders have opted out for 26.
Though EA Sports typically does a good job of getting players and personalities into games, they can't always do it. Some players, historically, have declined to be in EA Sports' games. Some coaches have, and there are plenty that have turned down the latest video game in the resurgent College Football franchise.
Dormant since 2014, the franchise returned with College Football 25. Not every coach was in the game, and that's true for the upcoming College Football 26 as well. Notably, two of the biggest names in the sport aren't going to be virtually represented in the game. Fans of those programs will have to do without their coaches.
Those, of course, are Deion Sanders and Bill Belichick. Belichick famously refused to be in Madden year after year, only being represented most of the time as "NE Coach," so this is no surprise. It would have been more surprising if he was in CFB 26 after turing EA down so often.
Sanders was long rumored to be skipping out. He is perhaps the most noteworthy and recognizable coach in the college landscape, but Colorado will be led by a fictional coach, just like UNC and others. These two are joined by:
- Mario Cristobal (Miami)
- Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)
- Bronco Mendenhall (Utah State)
- Tyson Helton (WKU)
- Charles Kelly (JVST)
- Frank Reich (Stan)
- Trent Dilfer (UAB)
- Bryant Vincent (ULM)
- Jason Eck (UNM)
- Mark Carney (Kent St)
Some of these programs, like UNC, Stanford, and Miami, are among the biggest in the nation, but they'll have generated coaches. Perhaps this will make it easier for Dynasty Mode players who want to take over, as they won't be supplanting or replacing, hypothetically, these legendary coaches.
Category: General Sports
