EA Sports College Football 25 brought college football gaming back after more than a decade. Players who purchased specific editions gained early access to the game before the standard release date.
College Football 25 Early Access Start Time
Early access for College Football 25 began on July 15, 2024 at 4:00 PM Eastern Time. This represents a three-day head start compared to the standard edition release.
Some confusion surrounded the exact start time. The EA Sports official pre-order page initially listed early access as beginning July 16. However, the disclaimers section and purchase confirmations indicated July 15 at 4 PM ET as the actual start time.
Players in different time zones could access the game at the following times on July 15:
- 4:00 PM Eastern Time
- 3:00 PM Central Time
- 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Standard Release Date
The full release of College Football 25 occurred on July 19, 2024. This date applied to players who ordered the Standard Edition or planned to purchase the game after launch.
How to Get Early Access
Two methods allowed players to access College Football 25 before the standard release date.
Deluxe Edition Purchase
Purchasing the Deluxe Edition provided three days of early access starting July 15. The Deluxe Edition was priced at $100, compared to the $70 Standard Edition.
Over 2.2 million players purchased the Deluxe Edition to gain early access to the game.
EA Play Trial
EA Play subscribers received a 10-hour trial beginning July 16, 2024. This option cost $6 per month or $40 per year for an EA Play subscription.
The trial lasted 10 hours of actual gameplay time. Players needed to close the application when not playing to preserve their remaining trial hours.
Platform Availability
College Football 25 launched on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles only. No version was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or PC at launch.
Preload Information
Players could preload the game up to 48 hours before the early access start time. Preloading allowed the game to be ready for immediate play when early access began.
Storage requirements varied by platform. Xbox users needed at least 80GB of free storage space. PlayStation 5 players were recommended to have 100GB available on an SSD for optimal performance.
First College Football Game in 11 Years
College Football 25 marked the first EA Sports college football title since NCAA Football 14 in 2013. The series was discontinued for over a decade due to legal issues involving the NCAA and player compensation.
The return became possible after changes to NCAA rules allowed college athletes to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness. EA secured agreements with over 10,000 college athletes for inclusion in the game.
Game Features and Content
The game included 134 FBS schools with their stadiums, fight songs, and mascots. Real player names and likenesses appeared through the NIL program.
Classic game modes returned including Dynasty, Road to Glory, and Team Builder. An Ultimate Team mode featured current college players, retired legends, and active NFL stars.
Launch Success
At launch, College Football 25 attracted more than 2.8 million players. By November 2024, the game became the best-selling sports video game in United States history based on dollar sales.
Server Issues at Launch
Server problems occurred when the early access period opened on July 15. The high player volume caused connection difficulties for some users attempting to access the game. Players who experienced server connectivity issues during launch week could reference the Dynasty Mode troubleshooting guide to work around some of the early technical problems.
Beyond the Standard and Deluxe editions, EA offered an MVP Bundle priced at $150. This package included the Deluxe