It's in the game: What to know about EA SPORTS College Football 26 before release

As hyped and eager as everyone is for the beginning of the 2025-2026 college football season, the release of the new features in the EA SPORTS College Football 26 video game has college football fans ecstatic to grab their controllers and take over their favorite teams.
New features, including the addition of coaches, the ability to start a college career in high school, and new mechanics, have generated excitement throughout the college football community ahead of the release on Monday, July 7.
EA SPORTS College Football 25 video game attracted five million unique players during its first week, generating approximately $500 million in sales. Before the initial release, 2.2 million people purchased the deluxe edition listed at $99.99, which guaranteed players different in-game bonuses and the opportunity to play the game early.
For Texas A&M fans gearing up to build a dynasty and lead the Aggies to glory, here are some things you should know before you play the game this summer.
This year's mechanics will be enhanced, offering more opportunities for performing various stunts and becoming the ultimate playcaller. According to news released by EA SPORTS, the game will feature over 2,700 new plays that were not in last year's edition.
There will be around 10,000 players and over 300 real-world coaches for the first time in a college football video game. That feature alone has attracted many members of the college football community to purchase this year's game already.
The likes of head coaches Ryan Day, Lane Kiffin, Kirby Smart, Dan Lanning, Kenny Dillingham, James Franklin, Marcus Freeman, and Steve Sarkisian were displayed on the cover of the video game or in the trailer that was released on the morning of May 29.
Each coach will have a unique playbook, while also providing players the opportunity to build their own should they choose to go their own route.
Last year, for the first time in a college football game, each stadium was ranked on a loudness scale called stadium pulse. This system will feature updated rankings this year, including new creative in-game presentations. Included during the trailer of this year's game were various updated gameday atmospheres and the addition of light-up, LED drones showcasing each school's logo.
Newly acquired sounds, traditions, and gameday environments, including AC/DC's "Enter Sandman" at Virginia Tech, will be introduced. According to EA SPORTS, the game will also feature new situations, stadium-specific music, fight songs, and dynamic commentary.
For the moment everyone has been waiting for, the EA SPORTS College Football 26 video game will feature the ability to start your football career in high school. That's right, high school football is back and better than ever. More details will be released closer to launch, but for now, we know that EA SPORTS has included the ability to play in high school for the first time since 2013.
The college football game's 11-year hiatus sparked a desire among fans to have the ability to play the game's Road to Glory mode last year. However, last year's game only allowed you to begin your career in college. With the addition of high school football, players will also have the ability to connect their created players to EA's Madden 26 video game and continue their career in the NFL.
One of the game's most popular modes is Dynasty, where players can grab a playbook and become the coaches for whichever team they choose. You have options to build up lower-ranked programs to national championship contenders, dominate with the country's best, or stay true to your roots and lead your favorite football team to glory.
According to the developers, the game will feature updates to the recruiting system. New location-based visits will enable players to give their program an advantage when it comes to recruiting, while also having the opportunity to land talent with a new dynamic deal-breaker system.
Standard Edition: Base version of the game, costing $69.99
Deluxe Edition: Offers early access to the game and in-game rewards, costing $99.99
MVP Bundle: Includes EA SPORTS College Football 26 Deluxe Edition and EA SPORTS Madden 26 Deluxe Edition, costing $149.99
You can pre-order any of the above editions of this year's college football game here.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: It's in the game: What to know about EA SPORTS College Football 26

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