“We are confident in our legal position regarding the use of our trademarks in video games,” the NCAA said in its statement. “But given the current business climate and costs of litigation, we determined participating in this game is not in the best interest of the NCAA. The NCAA has never licensed the use of current student-athlete names, images or likenesses to EA. The NCAA has no involvement in licenses between EA and former student-athletes.”
NCAA Football 2014 will be the last EA Sports game with the NCAA. The NCAA said their current contract, which expires June 2014, will be the last agreement.
“Member colleges and universities license their own trademarks and other intellectual property for the video game,” the NCAA said in a statement. “They will have to independently decide whether to continue those business arrangements in the future.”