Tradition is a massive part of college football, as Saturdays in the fall are filled with rivalries between universities that consider football to be part of their core identity go back as many as 100 years. EA Sports has identified school traditions as a huge component of college football, and its commitment to make the idea a central part of the game when EA Sports College Football releases could be a game changer that stands out from Madden in a big way.
In the days of the NCAA Football series, each year's entry released about a month prior to EA's Madden NFL, making it a challenge to offer a unique experience. Until its cancellation following NCAA Football 14, the college football series was widely recognized as more innovative, featuring a wider variety of modes like Road to Glory and Online Dynasty as the Madden series often played it safe. Now that EA Sports College Football is bringing the college-level experience back, EA is finding ways to make the game not just a carbon copy of Madden, with embracing school tradition being a great answer.
Tradition Defines College Football
Elements like the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" playing at the University of Georgia are as much a part of the college football experience as the games themselves, and EA Sports would do well to incorporate as many unique traditions as they can into the presentation of EA Sports College Football. Including school-specific items and actions within the individual stadiums will help EA avoid a more generic, corporate presentation, and ultimately give EA Sports College Football a chance to be among the best football video games.
Universities with a long history of winning like Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Notre Dame, and more should have that traditional success represented by making it easier for them to recruit the best players available in EA Sports College Football. Players looking for a bit of an "easy mode" can play with one of those teams in the Dynasty career mode, while those looking for more of a challenge could convert a school like Arizona or Vanderbilt into a college football powerhouse. All the while, they could be building a tradition of their own that would be reflected in the game.
Among the different features included in EA Sports College Football, like Road to Glory and Dynasty, is the inclusion of playbooks that are authentic to each individual school. Unlike the NFL, where head coaches tend to have a short shelf life with each team, successful college coaches stay at the same school for longer - sometimes decades. As a result, certain styles of offense or defense become synonymous with that specific team. Players may be able to use Navy's triple-option offense, Louisiana Monroe's two quarterback scheme, or Oregon's high-octane offensive attack.
The same is true on the defensive side, with playbooks that set schools apart making big matchups even more unique. Facing Alabama's blitz-heavy attack or Penn State's defense using dominant linebackers, even fans of Missouri should be able to recognize the dominant defense that is the team's historic strength. Given one of the many issues in Madden 23 is the sameness of play styles among all players, distinct playbooks that represent the variety of identities on offense and defense at the university level will be a welcome addition to EA Sports College Football.
EA Sports College Football is currently in development.