There's a Fine Line

[Rivals]

Anything that adds to the gaming experience is not fluff. Immersion is a significant factor when creating a sports game. Otherwise, why even have real schools represented in the game? Why not just control humanoid figures that represent people playing football? The physics can be perfect, but without a realistic surrounding and context, no one cares. There is no either/or when it comes to developing a sports game.

Authentic uniforms, dynamic crowds, animated sidelines, accurate commentary etc. has nothing to do with gameplay directly, but is just as important. Obviously, some aesthetics add to the experience more than others, but without knowing it, many core gameplay critics see NCAA Football for its flaws more than they feel an inaccurate representation of football. I mean, how do you really represent an exact "feel" for tackling through a video game controller? A lot of criticism is based on the game's faulty logic is certain scenarios, but then morphs into critiques of a defensive lineman not reacting properly from an aesthetic standpoint.

Point is, art and physics are tied at the hip.