Bye Bye NCAA Video Games

http://espn.go.com/espn/sportscenter/feed/#1-9486048

this is likely not just an end with EA but an end to licensing out to video games in general. I think the O'Bannon lawsuit has merit, and the NCAA has been permitting and approving the use of players likenesses in games (visual, abilities and attributes) in football and basketball games which will require them to pay each player once this lawsuit is ruled upon.

 

I think the NCAA is going to get hammered in the O'Bannon lawsuit. Unlike pro-sports games, where EA (or any other licensee) essentially has two licensee's to pay (the league and the player's association; or perhaps the league and the player's association already have an agreement to where the single royalties are split between them for the game), the NCAA does not have that player's union to create an agreement with. so you have a bunch of individual players that the NCAA would owe money to, who may not agree to 1 cent per unit sold to have their likeness used.

here is another article on the subject which is interesting:
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/07/17/ncaa-will-not-renew-ea-sports-contract
of particular note:

from this it appears that the NCAA is simply not renewing with EA for the use of the NCAA TM itself, not the schools. having negotiated a deal through the Collegiate Licensing Company in the past, I know in general that you create an individual agreement with each school (in addition to the fact that not all schools are part of the CLC and have to be licensed directly through the University; Ohio State and USC being among the most notable). I simply assumed with the games EA must have brokered a simpler, larger agreement. that is apparenty incorrect.

EA's agreements with the schools may not be expiring, so they can continue to make a college football game, just not call it NCAA football. we could be returning to the day's of Bill Walsh's College Football or Coach K College Basketball.