EA Sports' College Football is one of the biggest sports video game franchises, allowing fans to play with real FBS teams, athletes, and now even real-life coaches. While the College Football 26 introduced real head coaches, Deion Sanders never opted for the opportunity.

Sanders has once again chosen to stay put in EA Sports' College Football 27, marking the third straight year. The former Dallas Cowboys player and the current Colorado Buffaloes head coach has refused to participate in the popular video game.

"Coach Prime, one of the sport's most high-profile figures, is among seven coaches who have declined to have their likenesses included in this year's game," wrote Charlie Strella of Buffaloes Wire on July 4. "Sanders joins Mario Cristobal (Miami), Bill Belichick (North Carolina), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), Bronco Mendenhall (Utah State), Blake Anderson (Southern Mississippi), and Neal Brown (North Texas)."

Strella of Buffalo Wire stated that the latest edition actually has fewer coaching opt-outs than last year's release, with only seven coaches declining participation, compared to 12 coaches the previous year.

Sanders is one of the well-known names absent from the game, along with Belichick, Cristobal, Ferentz, and Mendenhall, all of whom opted out last year as well. His absence shows a consistent approach towards licensing agreements and maintaining control over his personal brand.

Although Sanders will not participate as a playable coach, EA Sports pays tribute to his football legacy. In the game Road to Glory mode, players creating a cornerback can choose the "bump and run" move, a style modeled after Sanders' legendary NFL career.

It also includes other defensive templates inspired by Rod Woodson, Antonio Cromartie, Aqib Talib, and Richard Sherman.

However, the real reason behind Sanders' absence is yet to be known. Last year, he had a hectic offseason following the departures of his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, to the NFL, along with the dual-threat weapon Travis Hunter, which led him to make the decision.

While Sanders' absence became a talking point, it didn't stop fans from pointing out small details at EA Sports.

EA Sports College Football gives fans their first opportunity to try the game

The games at EA Sports earned lots of praise for their latest updates, but there was one unexpected detail that stood out.

The title includes all 138 FBS teams, introduces the new Mascot Mashup mode, expands Dynasty mode with advanced NIL and budget management features, and becomes the franchise's first PC release since its 2024 revival.

However, CFB Kings X post pointed out that BYU cornerback Cannon DeVries' in-game character did not resemble his real-life appearance. This went viral and drew in a lot of comments.

What do you think might be the reason behind Deion Sanders opting out of the EA Sports College Football 27? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at Dallas Cowboys Community.

Written by

Hetal Moleshri

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar