College Football 26 Video Game Athletes To Get $1.5K from EA Sports for Participation

EA Sports will more than double its individual payments to players in return for using their name, image and likeness in the College Football 26 video game.

The Athletic's Chris Vannini reported Tuesday that players will receive $1,500, up from $600 if they opt in. They'll also get a complimentary Deluxe Edition copy of the game.

Vannini also shared a statement from Sean O'Brien, EA Sports' vice president of business development:

"From the beginning, we’ve designed our NIL program to be accessible, direct, voluntary and equitable for all, offering the same base-level compensation to every FBS athlete that opts-in using the OneTeam platform and COMPASS NIL app. This approach empowers each athlete to make their own decision. College sports are growing and changing, and our focus at EA Sports is on continuing to put athletes first as we bring them in the game in College Football 26 and beyond."

Certain players will ultimately be paid more than $1,500 as brand ambassadors for the game. Beyond cover stars Travis Hunter, Quinn Ewers and Donovan Edwards, that group included Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and Michigan defensive back Will Johnson for College Football 25.

The inclusion of Texas quarterback Arch Manning was a storyline leading up to the game's release last summer, too. On3's Pete Nakos reported the redshirt freshman received between $50,000 and $60,000 in return for granting his full NIL rights.

The long-awaited return of a college football game proved to be a success on every level. It was positively received by critics and fans, and it was both the highest-selling video game of 2024 and the best-selling sports game ever.

A one-time payment of $1,500 will add up when spread across all of college football. Vannini said more than 11,000 players were represented in College Football 25, so EA Sports could be looking at an eight-figure expense in that category.

Still, that'll be a bargain given how much revenue CFB 25 generated.