A college basketball video game has been a long time coming, and this is what we would want to have in it.
EA Sports’ College Football 25, the most anticipated sports video game to be released in the last decade, has gotten rave reviews from critics and fans alike since its release last week. College football fans are once again able to turn mid-major programs into national champions, recruit talented players, and of course, dominate with the Michigan Wolverines .
The early success of the game got me thinking: what would a new college basketball video game look like?
Like NCAA football, we used to have college basketball video games from EA, with the last game coming out in 2009 with former Oklahoma Sooner Blake Griffin as the cover athlete (yes, it’s been that long). The game was discontinued after this, partially because it sold about a tenth of the copies the football game did , and it hasn’t come back partially due to the infamous class action lawsuit led by Ed O’Bannon regarding student-athletes being compensated for their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).
But with NIL more prevalent than ever and with the football game being as successful as it’s already been, now seems like the perfect time for the hoops series to return. And if it does ever return, these are five things we’d like to see in it.
Realistic venues, complete with raucous student sections
The uniqueness of college football venues with raucous fans and students is one of the best parts of the new game, and with a college basketball game, I’d want to see some of the best venues in the sport realistically portrayed.
Much like how it’s nearly impossible to kick a field goal as the road team in College Football 25, I’d want incoming opponents to be rattled when trying to make key free throws as the crowd goes crazy. Loud student sections and the importance of home court advantage should be prevalent in a potential new game.
NCAA Tournament game modes
Mid-March is the best time of the college basketball season, and that should be reflected in this potential video game. It would be awesome to be able to simulate an NCAA Tournament, choosing to be your favorite team — or your favorite mid-major Cinderella — and to see if you can make a deep postseason run.
Unique recruiting aspects, including transfer portal summer showcases
The world of college basketball recruiting is moving at a rapid pace, especially with nearly 2,000 players entering the portal. Recruiting has been one of the most praised aspects of the college football game, and I think a similar experience in a college basketball game would be a wise addition.
As a coach or president of basketball operations, you should get the ability to contact portal players, manage your roster, and pursue top high school talent. Additionally, I’d want the chance to actually attend summer showcases as a head coach in this game: let me go to Peach Jam to try and sway a five-star point guard, or the Nike showcase to recruit a standout big man. Hell, it would even be fun to show up for key high school games and chat with recruits afterwards.
The ability to play with both men’s and women’s teams
Women’s college basketball is as popular as it’s ever been, with the women’s NCAA Tournament drawing record ratings this past season, crushing their male counterparts .
I’d either want a separate women’s college basketball game or the ability to switch over from men’s to women’s in a gargantuan game. Let me play with UConn ’s Paige Bueckers, USC’s JuJu Watkins or Michigan’s Syla Swords. It would also be fun to simulate a season with the 2021-22 Wolverines, who made it to the Elite Eight with Naz Hillmon leading the way. I’d also want a game mode where I could create a star player, like Caitlin Clark, and help lead a program to a national title.
Playing with classic college basketball teams
Speaking of Caitlin Clark, in this theoretical game, I’d want the ability to play with some of the players and teams in the history of the sport. One of the best aspects of the NBA 2K franchise is the ability to play as classic teams, facing off against fellow legendary teams or current squads. In my opinion, that’s the one big thing missing from the new college football game.
I’d want to be able to play as some of the iconic Michigan squads, including the Fab Five, and the 2013 and 2018 squads that made the National Championship. I’d also want to play as some of the best teams in the sports, including the UCLA teams led by Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton, the Duke teams led by Chrisitan Laettner, and the dominant UConn women’s teams of the past century, led by Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart and so many others.
The possibilities for a new college basketball game are endless, and with college football players getting $600 NIL checks for the new game, the framework for a re-launch starts to come together.
What would you like to see in a potential college basketball video game? Let us know down in the comments.