Bobby Burack
Videos by OutKick
Leave it to Notre Dame to take on video game developers.
This month, EA Sports announced it is relaunching its college football series under a new name, EA Sports College Football. However, University Vice President Jack Swarbrick and Director of Athletics James E. Rohr say that Notre Dame football will not be a part of the game until the players can directly benefit.
“Notre Dame Athletics welcomes the return of EA Sports College Football, a video game series that has historically helped promote interest in college football. Notre Dame will not, however, participate in the game until such time as rules have been finalized governing the participation of our student-athletes.
“As those rules are developed, it is our strong desire that student-athletes be allowed to benefit directly from allowing their name, image and performance history to be used in the game.”
Strong words.
Due to image and likeness issues, the popular series had to pause after the release of NCAA ’14, the game which featured Michigan QB Denard Robinson on the cover. Though the halt sucked and ruined many Xbox Live friendships, video game users have found ways to update the game’s rosters online. Can’t outsmart the video gamers, can you?
Good for Notre Dame, but as long this game returns, we all win.
Nothing more than politicking by the Notre Dame administration to come out front “supporting the players.” EA Sports has already said they’re not developing the game until the legal issues and payment model has been decided.
Oh well.
I don’t support players being paid to attend college, but boy, if a company were using my name, likeness and stats, I’d want the right to sign off on it and to profit from it.
I would suspect this has nothing to do with student athletes and more to do with how the university itself can profit.
I’m sure miraculously something will be worked out to have Notre Dame in the game.
NOT “good for Notre Dame,” Bobby!!!
Notre Dame can sit on the sidelines and cry. OR, they can just go ahead and pay their players directly out of the MONEY they are ALREADY GOING TO GET FROM EA Sports – and then see what the Nazi-doubleA has to say about it.
If I were head of EA sports, I would be issuing a statement today that says “We regret that Notre Dame will NOT be included in our College Football video game, but it was their decision to withhold permission for us to use their school name, colors, and mascot.”
I agree..
If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there, does it make a sound?