Deion Sanders, Bill Belichick Not in College Football 26 Video Game After Opting Out

Two of the most prominent faces in the FBS coaching ranks aren't making their debut in College Football 26.

The Athletic's Chris Vannini fired up the game with Monday's early release and confirmed Colorado's Deion Sanders and North Carolina's Bill Belichick are absent:

Fear not, because there is a Belichick whose likeness is portrayed. Ben Haumiller, the principal game designer for College Football 26, said on Split Zone Duo in June that you can have Tar Heels defensive coordinator Steve Belichick on staff:

Haumiller said this was a problem with Bill for the Madden franchise as well when he coached the New England Patriots. Developers would have to use a random name and likeness in Belichick's place, and the results were often quite humorous.

At the college level, a coach has a much more front-facing role because so much of the job is about recruiting. Still, there's clearly only so far Belichick will go in terms of self-promotion.

In the case of Sanders, he has long understood how much his image is worth.

The Hall of Fame cornerback started cultivating his "Prime Time" persona before he arrived in the NFL, and it didn't take long for him to be one of the league's biggest stars. His popularity hasn't waned much in retirement, either, as evidenced by the attention that followed him first to Jackson State and then to Colorado.

Like Belichick, Sanders may not have wanted to be in College Football 26. Equally likely is that he drove too hard of a bargain with EA Sports to secure his name and likeness.