College Basketball games are coming back following an announcement from EA Sports, but when can we expect a title to be released? We’ve got all the details.
EA Sports announced the return of College Basketball games on June 30, following on from the success of EA College Football 25 last year—which marked the franchise’s return after a decade of absence.
The announcement of EA College Basketball’s return is only the first step towards release, however, so we may be waiting a while, as we’ve explained in this guide.
When Will EA Sports College Basketball be Released?
There is no official release window set for EA College Basketball’s release, though there are some rumors circulating and a track record to follow from the return of College Football.
According to Matt Brown of Extra Points, who was a major source during the development of the new College Football games, a memo sent from the College Licensing Company (CLC) recommended that conferences accept the proposal from EA Sports, adding that the developer plans to release the first game in 2028.
That timeframe is far from solid, however, and it may not be an updated target. Either way, you can certainly expect to have to wait at least a few years until EA Sports releases a new College Basketball title.
For example, it was four years between EA Sports’ announcement of the return of a College Football game until the release of College Football 25 last year. If a similar wait were to occur, that would put the release in 2029.
However, it’s also worth noting that EA Sports had a lot of the core platform to build a College Football game due to their ongoing Madden series, whereas EA Sports does not have an ongoing basketball title—with the NBA license belonging to 2K.
EA Sports’ last basketball title was NBA Live 19, released almost seven years ago, and the world of gaming has changed significantly since then, so any remaining assets would need major enhancements.
What Platforms Will EA Sports College Basketball be on?
Again, there’s no official news for the platforms that EA College Basketball will be on, but EA Sports does have a strong track record to follow.
College Football’s return was only to Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, and the latest edition, College Football 26, will again only be available on those platforms. However, other titles like Madden and EA FC are released annually on PC, alongside other platforms like Nintendo Switch.
By the time EA’s College Basketball game comes around, we might be in the next era of consoles from Sony and Microsoft, which could mean current-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S are omitted.
In truth, we can’t really say exactly what platforms you should expect College Basketball to release on, apart from that it will likely be on the most up-to-date generation.
How excited are you for the return of College Basketball games? What team will you start a dynasty with? Let us know in the Insider Gaming forum.
For your next read, check out how to use the College Football 26 Team Builder and take a look at how to earn a 99 Overall Michael Crabtree in College Football 26.
