The moment everyone in the Operation Sports community is almost upon us — College Football 26 is on the way! And as is OS tradition at this point, we’ve dedicated this entire article as a hub of sorts for whatever piece of information you may need when it comes to the next entry of College Football.
So saddle in, shine up that Notre Dame helmet, and check out everything you need to know about the upcoming release of College Football 26.
College Football 26 Editions And Platforms
Just as it was with the revival of the series last year, College Football 26 will be a current-gen exclusive, available on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. Unfortunately, for the second straight year, the game will not be available on PC. This is certainly a bummer, as the popularity of PC gaming has been rapidly growing over the past half decade. But them’s the breaks unfortunately.
Apart from that, PlayStation and Xbox players will be able to purchase one of three editions of College Football 26 when it finally drops this summer, each of which come with perks for anyone who chooses to pre-order it.
College Football 26 Standard Edition ($69.99)
- College Ultimate Team All Hands Pack (Choice of 1 out of 2 items)
- Dynasty Coach Points
- Road to Glory Skill Points
College Football 26 Deluxe Edition ($99.99)
- College Ultimate Team Top Prospect Pack (Choice of 1 player item)
- 3 Day Early Access
- 4600 College Ultimate Team Points
- Early Access Solo Challenges
- College Ultimate Team All Hands Pack (Choice of 1 out of 2 items)
- Dynasty Coach Points
- Road to Glory Skill Points
College Football 26 MVP Bundle ($149.99)
The MVP Bundle is quite unique in that it not only includes the Deluxe Edition of College Football 26, but the Deluxe Edition of Madden NFL 26 as well. Here are the perks for pre-ordering this version of the game, as well as what comes with Madden NFL 26.
- Madden NFL 26 Deluxe Edition
- 4600 CUT points
- Bundle Exclusive CUT Item
- Early Access Solo Challenges
- CUT Top Prospect Pack (choice of 1 player item from select list of player items)
- CUT All Hands Pack (choice of 1 out of 2 items)
- Dynasty Coach Points
- Road to Glory Skill Points
Madden NFL 26 (If Preordered Before August 14)
- Madden NFL 26 3 Day Early Access
- 4600 MUT points
- Bundle Exclusive MUT Item
- Early Access Solo Challenges
- Season 1 Elite Player Item (choice of 1 player item from select list of player items)
- MUT Cover Athlete Elite Player Item
- Franchise Coach Ability Points
- Super Star Legendary XP Boost
- Player Card Exclusive Item
Release Date And Early Access For College Football 26
According to its official store page, the standard edition of College Football 26 will release on July 10, 2025, a full month before the start of the NCAA football season.
As has become common for modern games, College Football 26 will have an Early Access period that allows consumers who pre-ordered the game access before everyone else. This is perfect for anyone looking to gain some headway when it comes to Ultimate Team Grinding, or simply being able to flex to their friends.
The early access period for College Football 26 will begin on July 7, 2025, three days before the release of the base game. In the past, a lot of EA Sports titles have been subject to the New Zealand trick. For anyone not aware of what we’re talking about, the “New Zealand trick” involves changing the time zone of your console to New Zealand when a game is 13 hours away from release. This essentially gives early access to the game a day in advance. For a more detailed rundown on how to do the New Zealand trick, here’s how we did it for WWE 2K25.
From the looks of it, players were able to do the trick with the release of College Football 25, so it can be assumed that it will be available this time around as well. However, CFB 26 might adopt a global release date where the game comes out at a set time around the world, which will negate any such trick. So stay tuned!
Road To Glory Mode Now Includes High School Football
In an exciting new development, EA has announced that Road to Glory mode in College Football 26 will include high school football this year. This is an incredible development for anyone looking for a bit more meat on the bone when it comes to RtG.
As stated by EA, players will use high school as a means of rising up the recruitment class rankings and securing a scholarship to one of the premier Division 1 universities. EA has also promised a “competitive recruiting process” in which players can either commit to a college early or enter the portal.
Obviously, we expect high school ball in Road to Glory to be more fleshed out in the months leading up to the game’s release.
Over 300 Real Coaches Have Been Added
To add even more immersion to the gameday atmosphere in College Football 26, EA Sports has added over 300 real-life coaches to the game, each with their styles and philosophies when it comes to not just playcalling, but also player recruitment. This should add a new level of immersion to Dynasty mode, where aspiring college football coaches can test themselves against the best in the game.
The trailer also gave players a tease of these new coaches, with Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Ohio State’s Ryan Day being featured most prominently. We can hold out hope for Bill Belichick being on the sidelines at UNC, but considering his past refusal to be featured in Madden while with the New England Patriots, nobody should hold their breath.
Over 2700 New Plays Have Been Added
In addition to being a proving ground for young football players looking to be future NFL greats, college football is also with experimentation when it comes to playcalling. So many modern football innovations — be it the wildcat offense or RPOs — were innovated on the college gridiron. And with each passing year, more and more new plays are being thought of at the collegiate level.
In turn, over 2,700 new plays to College Football 26, giving players even more options when it comes to each school’s playbook or creating their own. On paper, the possibilities are endless.
New Year, More Immersion
What sets college football apart from all of its American contemporaries isn’t just the type of action you see on Saturdays, but the incredible atmosphere each university provides. Whether it be Virginia Tech fans singing “Enter Sandman”, or “Mr. Brightside” blaring out at Michigan games, there’s nothing quite like what happens before college gamedays.
College Football 26 promises to deliver even more when it comes to gameday immersion. According to its official press release, CFB 26 will contain “authentic traditions, customized PA tracks, team-specific chants, and atmospheric upgrades that capture the pulse of every game.” To capture each stadium’s atmosphere, Stadium Pulse has been revamped and made to make it even more difficult for visiting teams.
