EA Sports NCAA football game is long gone but most college players in Tennessee want it back

Tennessee senior linebacker Daniel Bituli has played football since the  fifth grade. It's a game that he knows inside out. He also grew up playing video games like Madden and NCAA Football . 

His experience playing  the video games went deeper than building an electronic dynasty with his favorite team.

"That's really how I learned to play football," said Bituli, who was born in the Congo before moving to Nashville when he was three. "It helped me understand coverages like Cover 3 and Cover 2 as a basic standpoint. That aspect has really helped us out.”

The NCAA Football video game doesn't exist anymore. It was discontinued in 2013, mired in legal trouble. The final installment, NCAA 14, is still a game that gets sold at its original $60 price tag, and sometimes higher. 

Bituli said he never wanted the series to end. Most college football players that grew up with it have the same sentiment. 

“Obviously I was disappointed when they got rid of the game because ... sure, they’d get rid of it right before I get to college," Austin-Peay senior running back Kentel Williams said. "I missed my chance to play as myself. I hope they bring it back soon, before I graduate.”

'That's the dream'

The NCAA video game series was canceled due to issues of name-image-and-likeness (NIL). In 2009, Ed O'Bannon, a former UCLA basketball player, filed a lawsuit against the NCAA for using his NIL without any financial compensation. 

Former Vanderbilt player Chase Garnham testified during the trial in 2014 that he saw his avatar in a video game and had no doubt who the avatar was based on

The NCAA prohibits college athletes from using their NIL to make money if it's affiliated in any way with their school. Eventually, the lawsuit caused the NCAA to pull its licensing deal with EA Sports, the makers of the NCAA video game series shortly after NCAA 14's release. 

In June 2014, the NCAA, EA Sports, and the Collegiate Licensing Company reached a $60 million settlement with Sam Keller, a former Arizona State and Nebraska quarterback who filed a lawsuit in 2009 before O'Bannon, agreeing to pay former players for their appearance in the video games. 

Players across the state of Tennessee told the USA TODAY Network  Tennessee this month that they don't really care about the compensation - they just want to play - and be included - in the video game. 

“Yea, I’m not too worried about that (financial compensation). I just want to play it.” Tennessee senior offensive lineman Brandon Kennedy said. 

“If they could bring it back and we don’t get paid, I’d be alright," Memphis junior defensive lineman O'Bryan Goodson said. "But if they could and bring it back, that would be 10 times better. We just really want to play as ourselves just to see us. It’d be like, 'man I’m on a video game.'"

One of the more popular options  in NCAA Football  was setting up a player in the "Road to Glory" mode after themselves. 

The mode took players through high school, the recruiting process, and onto a college career. For a lot of current players, seeing their name in a video game is something they have missed. . 

"If (NCAA Football) ever came back, we would all play," Vanderbilt senior cornerback Cam Watkins said. "You’d probably play with your own team. I mean we’d all like to see ourselves in the jersey on our team on a video game. That’s the dream."

Could NCAA Football come back?

EA released Madden 20 earlier this month, and a particular game mode could be a good sign for the NCAA series' fate. "Face of the Franchise: QB1" starts a player off in the College Football Playoff, which EA got licensing rights for. 

Ten college teams are featured: Clemson, Florida State, Florida, Miami, LSU, Oregon, Southern California, Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech. EA reached individual deals with each school. 

The development has given longtime fans hope for the future. This past summer, the NCAA launched an investigation into a player's name-image-and-likeness, which could yield positive results. 

For now, though, there are no plans in place to bring the series back. That hasn't squashed the hope for its eventual return. 

"That would be a dream if they brought the games back," Middle Tennessee State sophomore quarterback Asher O'Hara said. "I remember towards the end of when they started making the games, my brother was on Western Illinois at the time and on their roster it said 'QB No. 16' and that just blew me away. It would be crazy if they brought it back."

For those clamoring for the video game's return, gamers will just have to settle for the updated rosters that some loyal fans create before the start of the season.

"I know that there's a way to download current rosters onto like NCAA 14," MTSU senior wide receiver Ty Lee said. "One of my close friends back home showed me that and I think they had me as an 84 overall with 92 speed. I was surprised when I saw that. If I had the game I'd be using myself all the time." 

Adam Sparks, Joe Spears, Evan Barnes and George Robinson contributed to this story.