Deion Sanders, Bill Belichick Opt Out of EA Sports College Football 26
- In early July 2025, The Athletic’s Chris Vannini reported that Deion Sanders and Bill Belichick are not featured in College Football 26, as confirmed by sources.
- Sanders and Belichick's rejections remain unexplained, with Belichick's longstanding refusal linked to his NFL Coaches Association stance and Sanders' personal choice.
- Fictional avatars Kirk Patrick and Hector Luna substitute Sanders and Belichick in the game due to their refusal to license likenesses, with AFCA lacking bargaining power.
- Consequently, Colorado and North Carolina could earn six-figure payments if their teams are used in 2% of gameplay, based on usage-based licensing payments.
- Going forward, missing coaches like Sanders and Belichick could be added via patches, requiring renewed licensing negotiations on rights and fees.
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Deion Sanders, Bill Belichick opt out of EA Sports College Football 26
Some big-name coaches are not in the new college football video game
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Total News Sources15
Leaning Left2Leaning Right0Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution75% Center
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- 75% of the sources are Center
75% Center
L 25%
C 75%
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