NCAA will not renew deal with EA for collegiate football games when agreement expires in 2014

Written by Brandon Hofer on July 18, 2013

News: NCAA Football 14 might be the last collegiate football game we see for a while as the NCAA is taken to court.

NCAA Football ‘14 might be the last NCAA game you see for a while. The NCAA revealed last night that they would not be renegotiating its license with EA-published NCAA Football games after the companies’ current agreement expires next year. There are some who believe that this has to do with ongoing litigation where the NCAA reportedly profited illegally from the likenesses f current college athletes in EA-published games. A statement from the lead attorney working on the case is below.

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July 18, 2013

Steve Berman, managing partner of law firm Hagens Berman and co-lead counsel in a class-action lawsuit filed by former college athletes against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) alleging the gaming giant’s games used their likenesses without permission issued the below statement regarding the NCAA’s decision not to continue its license for EA-published NCAA Football games after the current agreement expires in 2014.

“It’s apparent to us that the NCAA’s decision to end its long and hugely profitable relationship with EA is tied directly to the pressure our litigation is bringing the bear.

“Our suit illustrates how the cabal between the NCAA and EA has exploited student athletes for years, using their images in video games without compensation. While we are heartened they’ve stopped the practice, we believe they owe those student athletes a great deal more than their implied promise to stop stealing their images.

“This announcement makes plain that the NCAA is attempting to mitigate the damage by ducking its responsibilities. We look forward to taking this case to trial and winning compensation for student-athletes whose likenesses were used without their permission, in violation of both the NCAA’s rules and the law.”

More information about this case is available at: http://www.hbsslaw.com/cases-and-investigations/cases/ncaavideogames

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