EA Sports to Use Pay-for-Play Incentives for College Teams

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If you're tired of watching your favorite college team struggle financially in the NIL era, here's your chance to help by simply picking them in College Football 26.

EA Sports is rewriting the NIL playbook. For the first time ever, schools will be paid based on how often they're used in the game. Gone are the static royalty tiers. Now, fan engagement equals real revenue.

Here's how it works: Every time someone plays a game with their favorite FBS team, it counts toward that school's share of the royalty pool. The more your squad is played, the more money your university makes.

"This percentage of games played will become the final allocation percentage for each school that will be applied to the total gross royalties," one FOIA document reads.

Take a hypothetical $5 million royalty pool. If 1% of College Football 26 games are played using Colorado, that's a $50,000 payout to the Buffaloes, just for being popular.

This pivot marks a huge departure from the 2024 model, which paid schools based on their finishes in the AP Top 25 over the last decade. Under that system, elite Tier 1 schools earned close to $100,000. Tier 4 schools? Just $9,987.

Now, even underdog programs like Akron or Coastal Carolina can cash in if fans show up for them in-game. With more than 1.7 billion streams of College Football 25, the potential is massive.

And schools aren't the only winners. Players who appeared in last year's edition earned $600. This year? Up to $3,000 per athlete, thanks to dual deals from EA and Pathway Sports. While players don't get royalties based on gameplay, schools do, which could loop back into NIL funds for star players.

In College Football 26, fans directly shape the NIL landscape. Every pick matters. Every game counts. And for once, your favorite team's financial future might be in your hands, literally, on the sticks.

Related: Michigan Running Back's Groundbreaking NIL Deal Redefines College Football