The existence of Madden, the most popular sports video game ever created, actually allowed NCAA Football to flourish in its shadow. And I felt that really showed in the product." "We wanted engineers who cared about football. "We went out of our way to hire people who were passionate about the game," says Dan Baker, who joined EA Sports as a tester and worked his way up to producer. And in one version of the game, the credits tied employees to their college football team of choice. At corporate events, an individual was introduced by what they did and the team for which they rooted. Passionate people and college football fans who found their way to EA Tiburon, the EA division that produced the series.Īt interviews for EA Tiburon, potential employees were asked about their favorite team. "That's the only thing I wanted to work on." "I would have probably cleaned toilets if they had let me, just to get in the door to work on this game," says Vuong, who eventually rose to become a producer for the franchise. Still, the opportunity was a dream come true. But he knew that he loved college football-specifically the Florida Gators-and the thought of being involved with a game that could allow his passion to flourish was too intriguing to pass up.Īt first, this meant making $7 an hour to test NCAA Football 2000. Tom Vuong wasn't sure what his life would look like in 10 years. In the midst of a discussion that could rock the foundation of collegiate athletics, the heartbeat of NCAA Football beats louder than it ever has. If anything, hope and curiosity that the franchise will be reborn has only blossomed in its absence. There's even a market for the final cover and box without the actual game included. Games are still sold at original resale price online, and, in some instances, higher. But some gamers hang on to these now-ancient gaming devices for the sole purpose of playing the last version of the game. Soon they will be two generations behind. The systems NCAA Football 14 last existed on, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, are now outdated. A small but mighty subset of NCAA Football fanatics has even poured countless hours into bringing its own version of the game to life every year. And players, past and present, yearn for a resolution from the NCAA so the game can perhaps be produced again. Those who produced the game still feel an intimacy to their creation. "It's tough to find that level of passion that we had in producing features for a community that was just like us: diehard college football fans."Īlthough it has been more than six years since EA Sports published an NCAA Football game, the passion hasn't waned. "When NCAA was taken away, I think something left with me," says Eddie Dorsey, who joined the team in 2005 and worked on NCAA Football through 2013. Some moved over to work on Madden, the franchise they had spent years trying to outperform. Those who worked on the game lost their jobs. The company paid out $60 million to college football and basketball players who were featured in the game, according to CBS Sports. Mounting lawsuits over player likeness and the way players weren't compensated for their appearance-specifically a class-action suit against the NCAA filed by former college basketball player Ed O'Bannon-led EA to cease future development. The demise of the NCAA Football franchise has been well-documented. NCAA Football 14 is still the series' latest official release.