Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin: I'd Participate in EA Sports' College Football 25 for Free
Lane Kiffin is always thinking about recruiting.
Even when it comes to video games.
The Ole Miss head coach told Andy Staples of On 3 he would appear in the new EA Sports College Football 25 game for free even though the company doesn't plan on putting coaches in the game when it is initially released.
"The kids like to play it," he said. "When they're picking the team, you would want recruits to play with the coach.
"My brain thinks about 'What would help in recruiting?' If you did pay me for that, I wouldn't want it. I'd want you to put it into our NIL."
Fortunately for Kiffin, potential recruits will be able to play with this year's Ole Miss team and, ideally, like what they see.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart was among those college football players who posted on social media that they will be in the new EA Sports game. He is far from alone, as the company revealed Monday that more than 10,000 players have joined the game.
"The response to the athlete opt-in opportunity for EA Sports College Football 25 has been phenomenal," EA Sports spokesperson Daryl Holt said in a statement, per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.
"In the little over one week, over 10,000 athletes across the FBS have opted in to the offer with more saying 'yes' every hour. We're excited to welcome more athletes in the weeks ahead and to debut this first class of athletes in the game when it launches this summer."
Current college football players were given the option for their name, image and likeness to be included in the game for $600 and a copy of it once it is released.
They will have to wait for some time, though, as EA Sports released a teaser trailer last month that said the game's full reveal will be available in May:
It will be the first version of the game since NCAA Football 14 and has been met with plenty of anticipation.
Ole Miss figures to be one of the best teams in the game after Kiffin added plenty of talent in the transfer portal to a team that went 11-2 in 2023. The 2024 campaign will be the coach's fifth season in the program and the one with the most expectations at the start.
Anything short of qualifying for the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff field would be a disappointment.
Before that potential playoff run, though, fans can take to the virtual gridiron and guide Ole Miss in the new video game. They just won't be able to do so with the virtual coach on the sideline.
