Everybody is thrilled with the prospect of the upcoming release of EA CFB-25. After all, this release set on July 19 is the first release since 2014 after NCAA Football 14. College football players from the 134 FBS programs who have opted into the game are guaranteed $600 and a copy of the game. But what about payment to colleges? 

As reported by Cllct, EA Sports, in a move that has significant implications for the college football community, has introduced a tier-based payment system for colleges in the upcoming EA Sports College Football 25. This system, based on AP poll rankings, categorizes teams into four tiers. The schools will also receive bonus royalties based on game sales, further enhancing the financial benefits for colleges. 

How EA Sports is paying colleges

As per the latest report by On3 on Instagram, “EA Sports is paying colleges for CFB25 based on a tier system using AP Poll finishes from the past 10 years.” From a distribution of under $10,000 to nearly $100,000, Tier 1 gets the lion’s share of a combined $1.2 million as each of the 13 colleges will earn $99,875.16 while Tier 2 followed with a stark drop at $59,925.09, Tier 3 with $39,950.06 and Tier 4 with $9,987.52. 

There are 13 teams in Tier 1 – Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Iowa, Michigan, Penn State, Oklahoma State, LSU, Utah, and Oregon. The teams in the tiers are evaluated on their performance in the past 10 years based on how many times they finished in the AP Top 25. Tier 1 teams have 6-10 finishes, Tier 2 teams have 2-5 finishes, Tier 3 teams have one appearance in the AP Top 25, while Tier 4 teams have none. And this game is also proving beneficial for players.

Players benefit from EA Sports College Football 25 

EA Sports CFB-25 aims to improve the financial status of college programs and allows college players to benefit from it. As mentioned above, the interest is already tested with $600 and a copy of the game, and more than 10,000 players have opted into the game, showcasing its popularity. Through this upcoming game, players can climb the social ladder that could land them lucrative NIL deals and, thus, make them bright future NFL prospects. 

As for the current payment ranking, whether we like it or not, it will stay as it is for four editions of the new video game series. It is set to expire on June 30, 2028, until a new distribution is expected. Do you think it’s a fair ranking system? Let us know your thoughts.