Coach Prime remains sidelined in the latest gridiron simulation after rejecting a low-ball NIL offer, prioritizing fair compensation over a digital appearance for the third straight season.
EA Sports has released College Football 27 to MVP+ members and is preparing for a wide release in two days. But don't expect to see Deion Sanders in the game.
The Colorado Buffaloes will go a third consecutive season without appearing in the video game producer's reboot of the highly-popular franchise.
As Roundtable reported last week, Sanders opted out of EA Sports using his name, image and likeness in this year's edition. Sources told us Sanders' representatives weren't willing to make a deal to have him featured. He was finally asked about where he stood with EA Sports at Big 12 Media Days on Tuesday.
"I don't know about video games, Sanders said. "I have a wonderful team that handles a lot of business for me. If I'm not in the game, that means they weren't paying enough. It probably didn't fit where we're going right now. That's probably it was probably just that simplistic."
This has been the longstanding position for Sanders, who balked when the game's first modern edition was released in 2024. His own star player, Travis Hunter, graced the cover, but he was still not willing to work out a deal. The first two-way Heisman Trophy winner in college football history set a new standard on what's possible.
"EA Sports, we do business," Sanders said via Well Off Media before College Football 25 was released. With the tremendous support behind Coach Prime at that moment, many fans wanted to see him on the cover. The biggest problem has always been payouts for players and coaches to appear in the game. The standard $600 dollar NIL offer plus a copy of the final product seems like a low amount.
When Sanders once said, "Must be the Money," that's exactly what he wanted to see more of. Being able to be fairly compensated should be a priority. And now he let the rest of the world know.
Coach Prime's position has changed drastically since his first season in Boulder. He signed on with EA Sports to serve as an NFL Draft advisor in Superstar mode for Madden 24. Since then, he hasn't returned to the lineup and remains out of consideration.
Sanders is one of six coaches to reject EA Sports' offer. The list includes UNC's Bill Belichick, Miami's Mario Cristobal, and Iowa's Kirk Ferentz. Last year, there were a total of 12 FBS coaches who opted out.
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