EA Sports College Football 26: What's new in Dynasty? What we like and still want to see

New York Times

6 days ago

EA Sports has slow-played the announcement of new features and adjustments to game modes for College Football 26, the second installment of the revival of its college football video game, but as the July 10 release date gets closer, we can finally talk about the foundational part of the game: Dynasty mode.
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On Tuesday, EA Sports released deeper details about the mode. The Athletic's Chris Vannini visited EA Sports in late May for a first look at the new features. Chris and David Ubben also spent two days with a beta version of the game earlier this month, so they have thoughts on the changes to Dynasty.
This is not a full review of the game, which will come around the release date. Here, let's address the biggest changes, what we like, what we're unsure about and what we'd like to see in Dynasty mode.
Chris: David, I've always been a Dynasty guy since I was a kid, more than online play or Road to Glory. So when CFB 25 came out last year, I was glad to see Dynasty was one of the pillars in bringing the game back. But it wasn't complete. It wasn't that deep of an experience compared to older games. We've both spent some time with Dynasty for CFB 26, so let's talk about what's new, starting with the larger experience.
The Trophy Room is back, though I didn't get to test it in beta. The game includes more history, like every winner of every conference championship and individual trophy. Game commentators will update you on scores across the country. You can customize max transfers per team and wear and tear. What about the experience changes do you like most?
David: Last year, I started at South Florida before taking the Minnesota job and eventually finding a home at Ole Miss. But around the third year there, my schedule was broken. And not the nonconference schedule you can customize before you begin the season. One year, I played six of my eight SEC games at home. The next year, I was on the road for six of eight. I'm looking forward to that change in the new game and not having to worry about that while also having better protected rivalry games.
The Trophy Room will add some depth, though I'd also like to see an option to watch highlights from the game that won you that trophy. It would add a lot for me to go back and reminisce and watch players real and fake that I grew to love in the game.
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I'm glad to see they've made a commitment to 1) adding the real awards from college football that were absent from last year's game and 2) fixing how they're awarded. It's not a huge deal, but it was annoying in last year's game when my running back with 800 yards and 12 touchdowns would win the Best Running Back award.
What stood out to you about the new scheduling fixes?
Chris: There will finally be protected opponents. You can select one or two in a conference. This was announced for last year but pulled at the last minute. I played around with this in beta a few weeks ago. The protected opponents were randomized, and the process of changing them was a bit cumbersome, though it's possible it was off just because it was an old beta model. But I like having this.
I still miss the ability to take control of games not involving your team in the old NCAA days.
Chris: Let's talk coaches. I'll let you talk about real coaches in the game, but fans will be happy to know that user-created coaches have a lot more gear to choose from. There are several kinds of hoodies and quarter-zips. There are shorts and sweater vests. There are sleeveless shirts (shout out to former Charlotte coach Biff Poggi). Coaches can also have demeanors and stances. This was fun to play around with.
David: The limited coach apparel options in last year's game didn't really matter, but it was a bit of a bummer. No such issue in this year's game. Those options really pop in the new version. It's a huge upgrade. For future suggestions, what about customizing your coach gear for each game like the team jerseys in the game menu screen?
It's been one of the selling points of the game, but I think we're underrating how much having real coaches (more than 300 head coaches and coordinators) will add a new element to the game as a whole and, specifically, Dynasty mode. When you create a coach, it often feels like you're stepping into a fantasy version of college football. Adding player names helped make it more real, and coaches will make it even more so.
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It's already surreal to see the virtual versions of coaches. Kirby Smart and Marcus Freeman were among those in EA Sports' recent deep dive releases and looked great. But Lane Kiffin crossed over into the uncanny valley that had me laughing. I can't wait to run into some of these coaches and coordinators and see who looks like the Cristiano Ronaldo bust.
This game has always been about immersion but there were limitations in the past. Those limitations are getting fewer and fewer.
Chris: We didn't have any real coaches in beta, but when I was in Orlando, I didn't see Bill Belichick or Deion Sanders, for what it's worth. Belichick never opted into Madden, so that wouldn't be a surprise. I found the coaching carousel to be more active and interesting, which people asked for. If you're mad at your coordinator in real life, let some steam off and fire him in the game. And your coordinator skills matter more now too.
Again, the beta was an older model, so I got the Arizona State job after a 5-7 season at North Texas, but offers can change week to week. You can also see where every coach went and whether they were fired, took another college job or went to the NFL. You get more notifications on your coordinators. You can see a coach's career record and their history, and they have a prestige grade.
Coach skill levels can now go up to 100, and there are new talents. Being a recruiter coach gives you more visits for recruiting. It'll also cost more points to become a well-rounded coach, cheaper to improve in your designated skills. I'm not super into that part of the game, but for those who are, it's deeper.
Chris: This is always a hot-button issue in Dynasty. I didn't love recruiting in the final few NCAA games because it took too much work. CFB 25 was a major improvement on that front, but the experience was mixed. Some people could get blue-chippers to Group of 5 schools. It took me time to figure out the right strategy. But some easy quality-of-life improvements in CFB 26 include your 'needs' list already on the main screen, rather than having to hit buttons to find it, and a larger transfer portal. Very helpful.
You're not a big recruiting guy, but any thoughts?
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David: Last year, recruiting was incredibly deep. This year, somehow they made it even deeper. It's hard to see recruitniks not loving what EA has done. But they also understand the sport. I appreciate they're not plugging stuff into a spreadsheet. They noted in the deep dive that an 85-rated senior guard is going to have a different star rating for a transfer than an 85-rated freshman quarterback.
That's the portal. That's the current world of college football. Future eligibility and position have a massive impact on your value. This franchise isn't without flaws, but it's also a massive undertaking. The thing that I appreciate the most about its revival is the people in charge understand and love college football and are trying to put that in the game. Little touches like that show ways they can do that.
Chris: Similarly, I like that the cost of a visit will now depend on the distance. That incentivizes local recruiting, just like real life. I still wish we could create a prospect like the old days, but that remains missing, with the focus instead on Road To Glory.
The last big thing we haven't mentioned: Dynasty is now crossplay, meaning Xbox and PlayStation 5 players can now use that mode together. That's good for me as an Xbox person. You and I have only played online games against each other. Now we can find out who's actually the better program builder.
David: That's a question with an easy answer.
(Images courtesy of EA Sports)