UMass players making the most of their College Football 25 celebrity on Twitch

With College Football 25 returning after the NCAA figuring out the logistics of paying players, many are enjoying the chance to see themselves in a game. Some of the University of Massachusetts' players are taking to Twitch to show off their skills and the Greenfield Recorder caught up with them.

Each player that agreed to appear in the game got at least $600 and a copy of CFB 25. Superstar players such as Arch Manning cut their own deals, as they are now allowed to do. UMass tight end Dom Mazotti has been streaming his Dynasty mode rebuild of the Minutemen on Twitch.

They're having fun creating content, sharing their football knowledge with fans and friends, and living life as actual video game characters. Sterling Galban has 95 speed, so his teammates have been taking full advantage.

None of this would have been possible under the NCAA's old rules, which allowed almost everybody to profit from an athlete's name and likeness but the athletes themselves. EA's NCAA games helped open the debate when former UCLA basketball star Ed O' Bannon saw himself in a March Madness game. He realized he hadn't gotten a dime from it, and under the old rules, the NCAA didn't even have to ask him about it.

Even appearing on Twitch and getting subs would have been illegal for athletes to do in the old days. Now athletes can control their own narratives, and have fun doing it. CFB 25 offers them great opportunities to do so. Most reviewers (including me) like the returned college offering better than Madden NFL. But to be certain, video game football fans are eating well right now.

EA Sports College Football is available now on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Millions of players have gone back to school, as it's now the bestselling game of 2024.