College Football Players Association organizing boycott of 2024 EA Sports video game
As reported by Pete Nakos with on3.com, the College Football Players Association is organizing a boycott of EA Sports and its 2024 college football video game.
Justin Falcinelli helped build one of the top college football programs of the 2010s. Clemson‘s starting center for two years left with two national titles.
But securing the program’s success had him wanting a piece of the revenue he generated. Meanwhile, head coach Dabo Swinney benefited – he signed a $115 million contract over 10 seasons in 2022.
Read the complete story HERE
The NCAA installing its interim NIL policy in 2021 was viewed by many as a victory. For the first time in college sports history, athletes were turning a profit. Last month, EA Sports announced players would be paid for their NIL to be used in the college football video game, which is slated to return in 2024.
EA has contracted OneTeam Partners to facilitate college athletes’ likeness. A source told On3 the cash pool for athletes was in the $5 million neighborhood, which would pay out to $500 per player. Sportico has also reported there are no royalties.
For Falcinelli, who is the vice president of the College Football Players Association, that does not fly. The organization tried to establish its first chapter at Penn State last summer. And the CFBPA is now urging athletes to boycott the game, with the hope EA will reconsider its payout to athletes.
“All current players should boycott this deal. It is an opt-in deal, and they should not opt into it. It is just a ridiculously low amount of money,” Falcinelli told On3. “Given the context and the hype that surrounds this game. When we first heard the number, we’re like, ‘Alright, that sounds low. Let’s go figure out if it is low.’ And started talking to guys, talked to some of my friends, some guys who are still playing in the NFL. ‘So, what are NFL players getting paid for Madden?’ And the numbers we were given were from 2019, it was disclosed that they got, I think, about $17,000. And then a current NFL player told us that he got a check for $28,000 this year for Madden.
Read the complete story HERE
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
