EA Sports' most-awaited announcement is here: College basketball video game is back. Check release date
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EA Sports confirms return of College Basketball Video Game
Could a college basketball video game be returning in the near future? Fans are speculating following a post from EA Sports on Monday.EA Sports is set to bring back its college basketball video game in 2028, according to multiple media reports citing a memo obtained by Matt Brown. The video game company also teased the release on their official Twitter/X account.Prior to 2013, EA Sports and 2K both stopped their annual releases of college basketball video games. But with the success of EA's college football video game return last summer, basketball was the logical next step. On social media, EA Sports made a spontaneous message, announcing that the popular video game is set to return! While the company teased the return, no further details have yet to be revealed.Thanks to NIL and players being able to be paid at the collegiate level, EA Sports was able to bring back its iconic college football video game last year. Now, it appears they may be doing the same for its college basketball video game. EA Sports posted on its official X account on Monday a picture of a basketball with their logo and a simple message:"Bring the Madness. Let's run it back. #CBB #ItsInTheGame". Have a look at the official post:Following the successful revival of its college football franchise last year, EA Sports has officially announced the long-awaited return of its college basketball video game series. The company, which found a way to compensate athletes for their name, image, and likeness (NIL), is now turning its attention back to the hardwood.According to Matt Brown of ExtraPoints, EA Sports' college basketball title is slated for release in 2028 and will include both men's and women's teams. While specific gameplay or licensing details have not yet been revealed, the announcement alone has sparked major excitement across the sports gaming community.The college basketball series has been on ice since 2009, leaving fans speculating for years about a potential comeback—especially in the wake of the NIL policy changes. With the popularity of March Madness on the rise and women's college basketball experiencing a major surge in attention—thanks to stars like Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, and Paige Bueckers—the timing of the revival seems perfect.More updates are expected in the coming years as EA Sports ramps up development for what could become the next big hit in college sports gaming.In a memo sent to college conference offices from the College Licensing Company (CLC), dated July 26, 2025, CLC put out a request for proposal (RFP) to create a college basketball video game in November 2024,' Brown wrote for Extra Points. 'According to the memo, five companies expressed formal interest, and three filed formal bids.The post instantly garnered positive feedback from college hoops fans, with many already jumping to the conclusion that EA Sports will be bringing back the college basketball game as well. EA Sports last had a college basketball game in 2009 so it's been a longer layoff for hoops compared to football -- which last had a game in 2013 prior to last summer.
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India Today
12 hours ago
- India Today
Tall, fierce and focused: Ayush Shetty reminds Viktor Axelsen of his younger self
At 6-foot-4, Ayush Shetty cuts an imposing figure on the badminton court. His lean frame, steep jump smashes, and improved court coverage have caught attention of the world. Many have begun noting the resemblance to Denmark's towering Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. The comparisons, of course, stop at the surface. While Axelsen has already conquered the sport, Ayush is just beginning to find his footing on the senior circuit. But there's no mistaking it: the 20-year-old from Mangalore is rising, and rising first big marker came at the US Open Super 300 in Iowa this June. In the semi-finals, Shetty faced off against World No. 6 Chou Tien Chen in a gripping three-game encounter. At one point, a 39-shot rally showed just how far Ayush has come: from being known for his aggressive attacking play to now demonstrating resilience, composed play from the back of the court, and mature shot selection. His hustle, including a beyond-believable flick from the back of the court while being off balance, earned him a sensational point and, eventually, a statement action sees Chou Tien Chen and Ayush Shetty go the distance.#BWFWorldTour #USOpen2025 BWF (@bwfmedia) June 29, 2025In the final on Sunday, he beat Canada's Brian Yang to claim his maiden senior international title, making him the first Indian to win a BWF Tour title in It was a breakthrough week for the 20-year-old, who has shown more than once this year that he has the ability to battle with the best at the highest level.'Ayush is from Mangalore, from a middle-class family,' recalls Vimal Kumar, former coach and one of the founders of Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, where Ayush now trains.'He moved to Bangalore about seven or eight years ago, when he was still an early teenager. Initially, he was training under Krishna Kumar at I-Sports — a very good feeder in Karnataka. We have an understanding with I-Sports — when players are good, they come and train here because we have better facilities. That's how Ayush came to our academy about five years back.'I-Sports and krishna Kumar got it spot on once again. At PPBA, Ayush thrived. After beginning his badminton journey at the age of eight, inspired by his father, Ayush's training and intensity sharpened. In 2023, he won bronze at the BWF World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA — only the sixth Indian to do so in men's singles.'Ayush was a junior champion and a couple of years ago, he got that World Junior bronze. This year, I feel he's done well on the world stage — at the Orleans Masters, Chinese Taipei... He has beaten players like Loh Kean Yew, Rasmus Gemke and Kidambi Srikanth. That's a good indication,' says VIKTOR AXELSENadvertisementA lot of Ayush's improvement has come through intentional exposure to world-class training.'Last year, before the Olympics, we took him for a three-week training programme in Marseille with Lakshya Sen,' Vimal says."He trained with the Popov brothers — Toma and Christo — and that gave him a lot of confidence. Prior to that, we also sent him to Dubai to train with Viktor Axelsen when Viktor was based there. Viktor was quite impressed. He said, 'Ayush reminds me of my younger days', because both are tall, Ayush is 6'4", just like Viktor.'With that physical presence comes a unique challenge, and a massive opportunity.A GOOD BADMINTON BRAIN'As a tall player, Ayush did face challenges,' admits Vimal. 'Earlier, he was vulnerable defensively, especially when opponents attacked his body or played parallel shots. But this year, he's worked a lot on his defence and improved. He's bridged those areas. He's got a good badminton brain.'That 'badminton brain' has become one of Ayush's defining assets, helping him adapt, mix his game, and not rely only on his power. Against Chou Tien Chen in Iowa, it was clear he could stay in the rallies and not just try to blow opponents off the singles, the net game and defence are vital. He used to only play at the net and try to hit his way out, but players were reading him. Now, he's playing long rallies, lifting to the back, mixing it up. That's important. His smashes are still some of the hardest on the circuit — and if he finds more consistency with his angles, like Viktor, he'll be very hard to beat.'Still, there are a lot of areas to improve. Afterall, Ayush is just beginning to get a feel of what it is to battle against and beat the best.'His core strength and leg stability need work because he's lanky,' Vimal explains. 'Sometimes he hits a bit wild, but with more matches, he'll refine that.'LEARNING TO FLY SOLOIn a bold move, Ayush's team sent him to the North American leg of the season, including the US Open and Canada Open, without a coach or support it was a deliberate call,' Vimal confirmed.'We wanted him to take more responsibility and see how he copes. These days, players have personal coaches and trainers — but this was a good test. We're quite happy he's managing on his own.'That independence is showing. After cracking the world's top 35, Ayush now has a target: break into the top 25 to consistently play Super 500, 750, and 1000-level GOOD COMPANYAt the Padukone Academy, Ayush trains alongside Kiran George and others under the watchful eye of coach Sagar Chopda.'There's been good progress,' Vimal says. 'I was especially pleased with the match he played against Chou Tien Chen — he lost the first narrowly, but came back really well. That shows good temperament. It's not easy to beat a player like Chou.'The Indian men's singles scene is stacked with talent — Lakshya Sen, Kiran George, Priyanshu Rajawat — but Vimal believes it's players like Ayush who now must push through.'At 19-20, you have to do that — like Lakshya did a couple of years ago. We have players stuck in the 30s (ranking), and I hope they come out of that. These four — Ayush, Lakshya, Kiran, Priyanshu — can take over from the current generation.'advertisementThe camaraderie among them is strong. 'Yes, they stay in touch. Today also we exchanged messages after watching his match last night. We told him not to celebrate too much — there are still five matches to go in Canada!' Vimal US Open title has marked him as India's next big hope. The Viktor Axelsen references may keep surfacing — but Ayush isn't chasing them. His real challenge begins now: building the mental resilience to block out the noise, the consistency to deliver week after week, and the hunger to keep he's not doing it alone. With a strong support system and a sharp group of peers around him, Ayush has all the tools to build on the spark that he has showed over the last couple of Vimal Kumar puts it: 'He's slowly maturing. I'm happy that at 20, he's won his first tournament and beaten good players. If he finds consistency, I am sure he will win a lot more medals for the country.'- Ends
The Hindu
14 hours ago
- The Hindu
Union Cabinet
The new National Sports Policy that seeks to utilise the potential of sports to drive excellence, economic growth and social progress, was approved by the Union Cabinet on Tuesday. The aim of the sports policy, developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders apart from different branches of the government machinery, is to create a robust sports ecosystem so as to ensure long-term success in sports. By encouraging sports for all and physical activity on a mass scale, the policy aims for a holistic development of a healthy society, integrating sports with education for the larger good. Apart from trying to make India a sports power, the policy targets sports tourism by encouraging the conduct of major international sports events in the country. The corporate sector and public sector resources would be tapped for a more healthy sports environment. Every sphere of sports would be bolstered, including the manufacture of sports goods. The more significant aspects like having a regulatory framework, including law, for better governance of sports will be established in due course of time. 'Sports promotion institutions in the country, including National Sports Federations, will be strengthened by focusing on operational efficiency, professional management, transparency and financial sustainability. This will call for the enhancement of national-level monitoring agencies to ensure seamless functioning and effective issue redressal mechanism,' says the policy, which tries to be athlete-centric. Sports will also be projected as a people's movement, by driving mass participation and building a culture of fitness through nationwide campaigns and community based events. Fitness indices will be launched in schools, colleges and workplaces, leading to a healthy competition. The policy also promises to make sports facilities accessible to all.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Ayush has the potential to become next Lakshya Sen or even better: Junior coach
CHENNAI: The wait is finally over for Indian badminton. In the wee hours (IST) on Monday, shuttler Ayush Shetty pulled off a noteworthy victory at the Mid America Centre in the USA. The 20-year-old from Karnataka captured India's first title of the season on BWF World Tour. The lanky shuttler, who stands 6 feet, 4 inches tall, capped off his eye-catching run in the US Open, a Super 300 event, with a straight-games (21-18, 21-13) win over Brian Yang of Canada in the final. Given the current landscape of Indian badminton, Ayush's title is massive. Ayush is one of the youngsters who's looking to establish himself at the elite level. Known for his booming smashes, something that he employed regularly to trouble his opponents in the US, Ayush has been showing signs of promise for some time. After a rocky run at the start of the season, he had beaten former world champ Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in March and has been on the ascendancy since then. People who have seen him up close are not surprised by his latest exploits. Krishna Kumar S, who groomed Ayush during his junior days, is stoked with the youngster's run. Krishna spotted him during a State (Karnataka) meet in Udupi and brought him to train at his academy (i-SPORTS) in Bengaluru. Even during his salad days, there was something special about Ayush. "He joined us when he was 11. He was really dominant in the U-13 category in Karnataka. Even then, he was quite tall and his net game and other badminton skills were really extraordinary compared to other players in the state," he told The New Indian Express. But it was a different tale at the national level. "At the national level, at that age, he didn't have the fitness initially. He was a small boy, of course, and very tall. His lower body was not that strong compared to the other players. But later when he became U-15 and 17, he really picked up his fitness levels. His height was a big advantage and his net game and smash was something that made him stand out from the rest." That's when Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), where Ayush currently trains, came into the picture. i-SPORTS has a tie-up with the PPBA and Ayush, around the time when he was 17, moved to PPBA with ambitions to elevate him to the next level. "So when we shifted him, he had plenty of potential, he could do whatever possible and from there onwards, his journey has been really good. Now, he is really tall and one of his major assets is his smashes, his finishing. It's not that easy to finish rallies at the international level. He has the potential to hit hard, in good angles and finish rallies," the former India international said. Apart from his strengths, Krishna felt Ayush, who is a bronze medallist at the Junior World Championships, has improved on his weaknesses and said that he could potentially follow the footsteps of his seniors. "His defence was a concern but now he has improved quite a bit. I think PPBA has worked really well on that aspect of his game also. For me, I think he will be India's next Lakshya Sen or even better than that," he noted. "If he maintains the tempo without any injury, he can definitely go on to become a big name in badminton." Another important aspect that stood out for Krishna was Ayush's level of confidence. Ayush is not afraid of losing, according to the coach. "He looks very quiet, but inside he is like a volcano. I know because I have sat with him for more than 50-60 matches. Even as a young kid (at Under 13-15 level), he was full of confidence. Other kids would become really nervous but Ayush was built differently." At the PPBA, Ayush has been working under the guidance of Sagar Chopda. Chopda, who's the head coach at the famed-badminton centre, said that Ayush had been digging deeper during training sessions, something that has led to improved returns. "In terms of the win, this is very important as this is his first international title. He has been consistent in the last few months and this should be a huge confidence booster for him," Chopda said. "He started (season) off a little slow. But he has picked up his game in the last five tournaments or so. He got that belief when he beat Loh Kean Yew. The potential was there but he wasn't getting those wins before that. The wins against Loh and Lee Chia Hao in the Taipei Open were very good performances. In the training, he himself has been putting in more effort and he has been very sincere. In the last few months, he has realised that his fitness levels need to improve if he wants to play back-to-back tough tournaments. A lot of credit also goes to the trainers, who have planned his training sessions," he said. Ayush's smash and his build are clearly his strengths and Chopda said that he has been looking to refine other finer aspects of his game. "When he came to us (PPBA), he was 17. I had seen him during his U-17 days, he had a huge build for his age and his smash was his big weapon. In the junior level, a big smash will help you win a lot of points. He won the junior world championships bronze medal as well. He has been consistently working on other aspects like his retrieving ability, his defence, which still needs a lot of improvement. He has been in the Indian circuit for quite some time but he has now started doing well at the international level as well." The Indian badminton fraternity would be hopeful that this is just the beginning for Ayush. Road to US Open title Rd of 32: bt Magnus Johannesen 21-17, 21-19 Rd of 16: bt Tharun Mannepalli 21-12, 13-21, 21-15 Q/F: bt Kuo Kuan Lin 22-20, 21-9 S/F: bt Chou Tien Chen 23-21, 21-15, 21-14 Final: bt Brian Yang 21-18, 21-13
