EA Sports announces return of college football video games

EA Sports' college football video games are making a comeback.

The company announced Tuesday it has partnered with collegiate trademark licensing company CLC on the development of a new video game franchise called EA Sports College Football. It will mark EA Sports' first college football game since the cancellation of NCAA Football in 2013.

"We've heard from the millions of passionate fans requesting the return of college football video games," Cam Weber, EA Sports' executive vice president and group GM, said in a statement. "We love the energy, tradition, and pageantry of college football, and I am beyond thrilled to say we are back in development.

"We have a lot of really exciting work ahead of us and a great team that is eager to bring a new game to players in the next couple of years."

EA Sports teased the possibility of reviving its college football franchise in 2019 after the NCAA's board of governors cleared the way for student-athletes to benefit from the use of their names, images, and likenesses. NCAA president Mark Emmert said at the time that he would be open to reviving the franchise under certain conditions.

EA Sports noted in its press release that the launch date is "still to come as the project progresses in the years ahead," so it could be some time before the new game is ready for players.