The NCAA College Football video game series, released annually by EA Sports, will not have a new game for next season, and the franchise could be done for good.
Cam Weber, the general manager of American football for EA Sports, released a statement Thursday explaining the difficult decision.
"Today I am sad to announce that we will not be publishing a new college football game next year, and we are evaluating our plan for the future of the franchise," Weber said. "This is as profoundly disappointing to the people who make this game as I expect it will be for the millions who enjoy playing it each year."
The franchise began receiving bad news earlier this year when individual conferences decided to discontinue the relationship that allowed the game to display conference logos and championship game sites. At the time, it was believed that schools could still be in the game due to their partnership with licensing firms like Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC).
In his statement, Weber cited the ongoing legal battle regarding player likeness -- of which CLC is also a defendant -- as a reason to discontinue the game.
"We have been stuck in the middle of a dispute between the NCAA and student-athletes who seek compensation for playing college football. Just like companies that broadcast college games and those that provide equipment and apparel, we follow rules that are set by the NCAA – but those rules are being challenged by some student-athletes.
"For our part, we are working to settle the lawsuits with the student-athletes. Meanwhile, the NCAA and a number of conferences have withdrawn their support of our game. The ongoing legal issues combined with increased questions surrounding schools and conferences have left us in a difficult position – one that challenges our ability to deliver an authentic sports experience, which is the very foundation of EA Sports games."
There were no specifics given regarding actions taken by EA Sports to settle the lawsuits with student-athletes, or a timetable to expect such a resolution.