EA Sports revives college basketball video games for 2028-2029 release

In recent months, EA Sports has surprised fans with the announcement that its college basketball video game franchise will be making a return. Although the exact details have yet to be disclosed, the franchise has been missed since its last installment, NCAA Basketball 2010, which was released in November 2009. Fans of college football games expressed overwhelming support when EA revived its college football series, achieving significant sales success in 2024. This surge of interest and demand for college sports video games has sparked EA to invest in the revival of its basketball franchise. The college basketball games from EA Sports are not as well-known as their college football counterparts, yet they hold a nostalgic place in gaming history. The company previously produced NCAA Basketball games, with earlier versions being called NCAA March Madness. The discontinuation of these basketball titles in 2009 was attributed to various concerns, primarily revolving around player likeness rights which also affected the company's college football segment. In a cryptic tweet featuring the phrase "Bring the Madness," EA Sports hinted at the return of the beloved series, prompting excitement and speculation among fans. A public relations representative for EA could not provide additional information regarding the new basketball game but directed inquiries back to the tweet, leaving the gaming community eager for details. This follows a substantial gap in the gaming market, with EA's most recent basketball title being NBA Live 19 in 2018, although plans to release NBA Live 20 and NBA Live 21 were canceled. Moreover, the risky nature of revitalizing the college basketball games may be justified due to the positive reception of the recently launched college football series. The success of "College Football 25," which was highly ranked as one of the best-selling games of 2024, has illustrated a robust market demand for college sports gaming. As anticipation builds for the return of college basketball games, fans are now bracing themselves for a wait until the 2028-2029 season for the full release, culminating in a wave of excitement and curiosity surrounding what EA Sports has planned in the interim.