After EA Sports’ triumphant return to the college football video game medium last year, the pressure was on to deliver a worthy follow-up.
This week, fans across the sporting world got their hands on College Football 26 for the first time, and so far, it would appear that the game delivers.
While there is nothing like playing your alma mater to a national championship, the real magic of College Football 26, just like the real magic of college football, is in the small details.
Below we go through some of the small inclusions that make a big difference in the game.
Music That Matches the Moment
College football is a sport steeped in musical tradition, with fight songs deemed the rallying cries of schools across the country. In the modern sports landscape, the fight song has evolved, with many college football stadiums now using music from the early aughts to hype the crowd up.
The Michigan Wolverines have made headlines with such a move, with fans now screaming along to “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers as games at The Big House head to the fourth quarter. Whatever the cost was to clear the song, apparently EA Sports paid it. The results are fantastic.
Mr. Brightside for @UMichFootball is one of my favorite things in College Football 26, the fans even sing along. pic.twitter.com/noqBzfmjNn
— Eric Ray (@EricRayweather) July 7, 2025
Virginia Tech’s entrance to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” also looks glorious.
Virginia Tech full entrance in College Football 26#PresentedByEACreatorNetwork pic.twitter.com/HpTFdbTvAB
— Eric Ray (@EricRayweather) July 3, 2025
The Hat Fake
If you’re playing in the game’s “Road to Glory” mode, your created player will have the chance to select which school he’s going to play for coming out of high school.
That’s nothing new, but what is new is your ability to put some of your rival schools through pain by pulling off a hat fake at your commitment ceremony.
This is the Hat Selection Ceremony in College Football 26 Road to Glory! 🧢
— QJB (@QJBeat) July 3, 2025
Once you narrow the schools that offered you a scholarship down to 3, then you have a tough decision to make.
You can Commit, Remove Hat or Fake Pick.@EASPORTSCollege #CFB26… pic.twitter.com/iP7J3cQQc8
The Ritual Sacrifice of Pop-Tarts
In just a few short years, the Pop-Tarts Bowl has established itself as one of the must-see events of bowl season, thanks to its unique pageantry. Where else do you get to see a sentient Pop-Tart fulfill its dream of being toasted and eaten alive by a team of college football players?
College Football 26 committed to the bit. Dreams really do come true.
The Pop-Tarts Bowl in CFB 26
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) July 4, 2025
Life won’t be the same from here on out pic.twitter.com/fcYR2UnojU
Terrifying Road Games
There’s no home-field advantage in sports quite like what we see in college football. Taking on LSU in Death Valley or heading to Penn State for a White Out can put even the best teams in the sport on notice.
College Football 26 is bringing back its “Stadium Pulse” feature, which makes is harder for players to perform at their best when playing on the road, with the challenge becoming greater as the environment their playing in gets harsher.
Watch out for more false starts or confusion around the play clock.
Stadium pulse just got even harder in College Football 26
— Bordeaux (@bordeauxyoutube) June 20, 2025
There are nighttime and rivalry modifiers that add an extra edge to schools ranked among the toughest places to play
Away quarterbacks will struggle managing the clock as the playclock can just disappear for a bit
You… pic.twitter.com/yWxhRNL4Ri
Additionally, your kickers will be distracted in ways befitting of the home crowd.
Western Kentucky’s mascot Big Red is always watching you.
When the visiting team is kicking a FG against @WKUFootball in @EASPORTSCollege College Football 26.#Cfb26 pic.twitter.com/lrn4NHHJEZ
— Paul Detillier (@PaulToppers) July 8, 2025
The Transfer Portal
No college football game in the modern era would be complete without an active transfer portal, and if early returns are to be believed, the transfer portal in College Football 26 is set to be wildly devious.
I just lost 38 players to transfer and/or graduation after Season 1 of my Rice dynasty in College Football 26.
— Mills (@MillsTwitch) July 8, 2025
Ask me anything... pic.twitter.com/XwWK80WsON
College Football 26 became available to those that paid for early access earlier this week, and will be out for everyone on Thursday, July 10.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as From 'Mr. Brightside' to Pop-Tarts, Here Are Five Small Details That Set 'College Football 26' Apart.
