Well, if EA Sports College Football 26 was looking to make a splash, it has, just not in the way you might expect.
Leaked images have surfaced online of the cover for the Deluxe Edition of the beloved college football video game. And the cover is ... something.
Planted in the stands of the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, are more than 25 players, coaches, legends and mascots, who will make up the cover. The images were first leaked by @tubbycfb on social media, and "The Athletic" has since confirmed the leaked deluxe cover to be real.
Among current players included are proven stars such as Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams, Florida quarterback DJ Lagway and Penn State running back Nick Singleton.
Ohio State, the reigning college football national champion, appears to be the only school with two active players on the cover, with wideout Jeremiah Smith and defensive back Caleb Downs.
Perhaps the most notable piece of this cover is the inclusion of coaches. Georgia's Kirby Smart, Penn State's James Franklin and Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham all can be seen on the cover, perhaps indicating their official inclusion in the game.
This is important to note because coaches were not featured in EA Sports College Football 25, in the game's return from an 11-year hiatus.
Additionally, this will be the first time a true freshman has appeared on the cover of a game, as incoming Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood is featured in the photo. Underwood enrolled early at Michigan, beginning his tenure there in November. He currently has the highest name, image and likeness valuation, according to On3, of any college football freshman in the country, and second-highest among any collegiate freshman, only trailing Duke's Cooper Flagg.
Of note, Texas quarterback Arch Manning is not included on the cover despite having the highest NIL valuation in all of college athletics.
Past legends are represented on the cover as well, with Heisman Trophy winners such as Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush featured.
EA Sports College Football 25 became the highest-grossing sports video game in history last year, according to analytics company Circana, surpassing NBA 2K21.
Last season, cllct revealed how much every FBS program earned for its NIL inclusion in the game, which was broken down into a four-tier system based on AP Poll results from 2014-2023.
Whether or not that system changes remains to be seen. It also has yet to be determined how much each student athlete will earn for their individual NIL.
Matt Liberman is a reporter and video producer for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.