EA Sports College Football 25 Offers Players $600 & A Free Game

We're only months away from EA Sports College Football 25 bringing collegiate gridiron competition back to gaming, and new details have been revealed about the players that'll be featured in these games. For years, the biggest snag on a title like this was being able to use likenesses and names of actual college football players.

Now, EA Sports College Football 25 reportedly has an agreement in place as a window begins where players can choose to opt-in at the rate being offered. We've got more details below on what they'll get, what happens if they opt-out, and why some players could have even more benefits on the way.

EA Sports College Football 25 player compensation revealed

According to new reporting from The Athletic, college football players can officially begin to opt-in as part of EA Sports College Football 25 starting today. This will be the first time collegiate athletes have been compensated for their inclusion into the game, and they'll have between now and April 30 to make a decision.

For players that opt-in, they'll receive $600 and a free copy of EA Sports College Football 25. However, it's also reported that some players will "become ambassadors for the game and receive additional NIL compensation."

If anyone chooses to opt-out, they'll be replaced by a generic player avatar in EA Sports College Football 25. As emphasized by The Athletic, the sheer quantity of players in this deal is massive. Madden is generally working with approximately 1,700 active players each year, but there are more than 11,000 expected in EA Sports College Football 25.

There's also an exception to this new system. According to The Athletic, "Air Force, Army, and Navy players are not allowed to accept NIL deals and payments, [but] they are expected to be in the game." EA Sports has confirmed all 134 FBS schools will be included in EA Sports College Football 25, and they're now poised to feature that program's actual athletes.