NCAA Football 14 News Post

SEC, Pac-12, Big Ten Won't License Trademarks in Future Video Games

10:56 AM - August 14, 2013 by vhhsfu0509

The Southeastern Conference announced today that it will not, as a conference, license its trademarks in the EA Sports NCAA Football video game. This decision does not involve member universities as of yet, as this only involves the SEC conference name and logo.

However, this could be the type of event that opens the flood gates to future defections from the game. While the future of the College Football series looked somewhat on stable ground after EA and the CLC agreed to a three year deal, this news rattles the very foundations and future of the series.

"Each school makes its own individual decision regarding whether or not to license their trademarks for use in the EA Sports game(s)," the SEC said in a statement. "The Southeastern Conference has chosen not to do so moving forward. Neither the SEC, its member universities, nor the NCAA have ever licensed the right to use the name or likeness of any student to EA Sports."

This is another move in response to the Ed O'Bannon case which could end collegiate video games forever given unfavorable rulings from the courts.

Today's news only brings more questions as to the viability of the product going forward.

UPDATE: ESPN's Kristi Dosh is reporting that the Big XII says they have yet to make a decision on the inclusion of their marks in future College Football video games.

UPDATE #2: ESPN is now reporting the Big Ten is out as well.

UPDATE #3: In a statement to Joystiq, a CLC representative said "150 collegiate institutions, including SEC schools, have approved renewal of the EA college football license, to begin with the 2015 edition. As with any licensed product, individual schools continue to make their own decisions."

We are putting in a question with the CLC on whether this means schools can still opt out of the game at any time or not as the wording certainly seems to leave that possibility open.

Update #4: Jeremy Fowler of CBS is reporting that the Pac-12's marks also won't be in the new game.

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Member Comments

# 121 awill25 @ 08/14/13 01:48 PM

Honestly, if there is a game next year, the lack of authinticity will make it much less appealing. The NCAA pulling out was the begenning of the end and we are just now starting to bleed out.

If you really think some guys sitting around there computer at home could make the game better than a muli-million dollar company in EA, than I believe you are dreaming. All the customization in the world won't matter without the lisenses for the authentic product. This is wishful thinking at it's best...like guys who think they can play college sports until they play a pick up game with an actual college athlete and get a wake up call!

It is indeed a sad time for college sports gamers fellas. With 15 coming out or not.....the college game as we know it is OVER! That is until this suit with O'Bannon is over.

# 122 JLoco11 @ 08/14/13 01:48 PM

A few weeks ago the NCAA pulled out and everyone was ready to kiss the game good bye.

Now conferences are dropping out and people are doing the same. Remember, all conferences are is a name of a group of schools. As long as the schools are still in the game, EA can certainly make some generic work arounds.

For example: Renaming a Conference. Give us a generic named conference like South Conference or Nor1h Conference and allow us the ability to change the names.

We already controlled bowl affiliations (which disappear next year anyways). We'll control the playoff system in theory.

As long as EA deals with the CLC and individual schools, EA will test the market with a game. If schools start dropping out, then the series will be in trouble.

# 123 aholbert32 @ 08/14/13 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLoco11


	A few weeks ago the NCAA pulled out and everyone was ready to kiss the game good bye. Now conferences are dropping out and people are doing the same. Remember, all conferences are is a name of a group of schools. As long as the schools are still in the game, EA can certainly make some generic work arounds. For example: Renaming a Conference. Give us a generic named conference like South Conference or Nor1h Conference and allow us the ability to change the names. We already controlled bowl affiliations (which disappear next year anyways). We'll control the playoff system in theory. As long as EA deals with the CLC and individual schools, EA will test the market with a game. If schools start dropping out, then the series will be in trouble.

Exactly. Wake me up when Schools start dropping out. I could give a **** about logos and conference names.

# 124 Peacefrog @ 08/14/13 01:50 PM

Well, back to good ol'

# 125 superxero27 @ 08/14/13 01:52 PM

The evidence appears to be building for this to be the final "real" college football game.
Going the way of March Madness/NCAA Basketball, and College Hoops. I hope to be wrong, but the evidence seems to be stacking up more and more that way.

I understand why, conferences want to avoid litigation just as much as the NCAA does, but for us as consumers it stinks.

Even if College Football 15 launches (I'm even more doubtful about that now), a not-official game won't do nearly as well especially if it's missing conferences.

The question now is, does EA have any incentive to patch the current version instead of just bailing on it like NCAA Basketball?

# 126 JLoco11 @ 08/14/13 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peacefrog


	Well, back to good ol'

Who the hell is Penn State playing against? The Denver Broncos without a logo?

# 127 simgamer0005 @ 08/14/13 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripleCrown9


	They could even go as shallow as Southeastern Football Conference, and they would be fine.

They should be able to call it the Southeastern Conference, because south east is a region. But they wouldn't be able to use the SEC's logo, they'd have to use a generic one.

# 128 aholbert32 @ 08/14/13 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superxero27


	The evidence appears to be building for this to be the final "real" college football game. Going the way of March Madness/NCAA Basketball, and College Hoops. I hope to be wrong, but the evidence seems to be stacking up more and more that way. I understand why, conferences want to avoid litigation just as much as the NCAA does, but for us as consumers it stinks. Even if College Football 15 launches (I'm even more doubtful about that now), a not-official game won't do nearly as well especially if it's missing conferences. The question now is, does EA have any incentive to patch the current version instead of just bailing on it like NCAA Basketball?

No incentive and it wont happen.

# 129 superxero27 @ 08/14/13 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nortobc


	Why is this so complicated!!! All EA has to do is create a game with totally generic/random player names, colleges and conferences and let the user customize them all. Within 2 weeks somebody will have them all generated like we currently do with player names. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk 2

A game that won't have near the mass market appeal of a licensed game and hence wouldn't last much longer than 1 season.
Sales is what matters; I highly doubt a non-licensed game (especially since consumers are used to licensed and accurate games) will sell in sufficient numbers to justify its development/existence.

That being said, CFL or Arena League football would be neat...

# 130 canesfins @ 08/14/13 01:56 PM

The only 2 video games I need to be happy are college hoops and ncaa football. One of them was already taken away from me lets hope both wont be...

# 131 aholbert32 @ 08/14/13 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simgamer0005


	They should be able to call it the Southeastern Conference, because south east is a region. But they wouldn't be able to use the SEC's logo, they'd have to use a generic one.

They wont be able to because while Southeastern is a region and Conference is a designation....Southeastern Conference combined is a registered mark.

# 132 superxero27 @ 08/14/13 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simgamer0005


	They should be able to call it the Southeastern Conference, because south east is a region. But they wouldn't be able to use the SEC's logo, they'd have to use a generic one.

Except that "Southeastern Conference" is also a trademark, is it not? Like Pacific-12? Conference USA?

# 133 simgamer0005 @ 08/14/13 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superxero27


	Except that "Southeastern Conference" is also a trademark, is it not? Like Pacific-12? Conference USA?

How about "Southeast Conference"?

# 134 superxero27 @ 08/14/13 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simgamer0005


	How about "Southeast Conference"?

A little less risky, but I bet that if the O'Bannon case continues on its current track that EA would be way too gun shy about potential litigation to go anywhere near that.

# 135 pietasterp @ 08/14/13 02:01 PM

When will the other major conferences follow suit? I would say that EA must be rapidly re-evaluating how much longer they want to be in the business of publishing college sports games....and in related, sad news, this almost certainly means we'll never see another College Hoops 2k game...

# 136 lere2001 @ 08/14/13 02:01 PM

OK EA! Now jump onto a CFL game!

# 137 Cryolemon @ 08/14/13 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aholbert32


	Exactly. Wake me up when Schools start dropping out. I could give a *** about logos and conference names.*

Well yeah, but the worry now is that that will start happening.

# 138 pietasterp @ 08/14/13 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aholbert32


	Exactly. Wake me up when Schools start dropping out. I could give a *** about logos and conference names.*

Might not want to get too comfy...I think this is the logical next step.

# 139 aholbert32 @ 08/14/13 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pietasterp


	When will the other major conferences follow suit? I would say that EA must be rapidly re-evaluating how much longer they want to be in the business of publishing college sports games....and in related, sad news, this almost certainly means we'll never see another College Hoops 2k game...

I dont get this line of thinking:

One, I doubt this came as much of a surprise to EA and its lawyers after NCAA pulled out.

Two, EA knows from its past that the only thing that matters is teams. If Alabama pulls out...thats huge. If the SEC pulls out its logo...thats not.

Three, this actually saves EA money. They dont have to shell out a license fee just so they can use a logo.

I dont get how this is bad for EA right now. When the schools start to pull out, thats when the problem begins but as I stated before what incentive does a school have to pull out?

The CLC is already named in the suit. The CLC also provides protection (insurance and indemnification) when it comes to this lawsuit and all legal costs are shared amongst the schools. Why would a school pull itself out of the CLC (and thus out of EA's game) when staying will cost them no more money and pulling out means it doesnt get to share in EA's license money?

# 140 bad_philanthropy @ 08/14/13 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pietasterp


	Might not want to get too comfy...I think this is the logical next step.

I think this is the trajectory. If athletics conferences are reticent I can only imagine the universities themselves will be wary of legal action. I think at some point the schools and conferences will decide to wait on the ruling before agreeing to license the EA product.

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