EA Sports open to reviving NCAA Football if likeness rules change

The NCAA's recent announcement that it has formed a group to examine issues related to student-athlete name, image, and likeness could mean good news for fans of EA Sports' NCAA Football video game franchise.

EA Sports discontinued the franchise in 2013 due to conferences pulling their trademark licenses and lawsuits involving players' likenesses, but if the NCAA decided to change its rules, it would open up the possibility for it to return.

Chris Hummer of 247Sports reached out to former NCAA Football executive producer Ben Haumiller, now a producer for the Madden franchise, who confirmed that EA Sports would be interested in reviving the game.

"We loved making college football games," Haumiller said. "If the opportunity ever presented itself we'd be very interested in potentially getting back into that space."

In the meantime, gamers will have the option to play as a college football quarterback in Madden NFL 20 as part of a new career mode called "Face of the Franchise: QB1." The game is scheduled to be released on Aug. 2.