This concerns me. With EA's history of buying out the competition or license, would anyone be shocked if this were the case? As much as I love the game, I don't know if I could support it under EA's control. Mostly because I love that they aren't tied to an annual release schedule so can focus on releasing meaningful improvements with each one.
Could be nothing and I've got absolutely nothing to base this off of. It's just when I hear sports game and rights negotiation, I flash back to the Madden situation. (and yes, I know it's the NFL's choice to be exclusive and all...)