After 11 years of eager waiting, Iowa football fans can finally celebrate the anticipated return of the EA Sports College Football series to the market.
The series was placed on hiatus following a disagreement over the game’s use of college player likeness but returned after NIL was introduced in 2021 — allowing players to get compensation for their involvement in the game. Over 10,000 current college football players appear in the game.
The game also features each of the 134 college football programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision and brings back many old favorite modes such as Team Builder, Road to Glory, and Dynasty. New features include Road to the College Football Playoff and Madden NFL’s Ultimate Team format.
Here is the complete Iowa football fan guide to EA Sports College Football 25.
Overall ratings
Offense: 76
Defense: 88
Overall: 87
This comes as a shock to no one, but the Iowa offense sits at a mediocre 76 rating because of its performance over the last few seasons. Last season, the Hawkeyes averaged only 15.4 points per contest, which ranked 132nd in the entire FBS ahead of only Kent State, who went 1-11.
On the flip side, Iowa has consistently produced a strong defense under coordinator Phil Parker, and Electronic Arts has rewarded this success with a strong 88 rating, though Hawkeye fans have made a hard case for the ranking to be higher.
As for the overall rating, EA has given Iowa an 87, which ranks in the upper half of a loaded Big Ten Conference that added the likes of USC, UCLA, Washington, and Oregon to the mix this upcoming season. The Hawkeyes’ ranking earns them a spot at No. 25 in the overall game, a similar position to their real-life counterpart.
Oregon and Ohio State are tied for highest overall ratings amongst Big Ten teams, while Georgia comes in as the highest ranked team in the game following two national championships in three seasons.
Top players
Shortly after the game’s official release on July 19, EA listed the top 100 players in the game. Four Hawkeyes cracked the list – all on defense.
No. 16: Jay Higgins, linebacker, 94 overall
No. 38: Sebastian Castro, defensive back, 92 overall
No. 86: Nick Jackson, linebacker, 90 overall
No. 97: Xavier Nwankpa, defensive back, 87 overall
Higgins had a breakout season in 2023, recording a team-high 171 tackles and earning first-team All-American honors by the Football Writers Association of America, Phil Steele, and Sports Illustrated. He checks in as the highest-rated Hawkeye as he returns for his fifth and final season in 2024, where he has already been named to several preseason All-American lists.
Castro emerged as one of the top safeties in the nation last year and led Iowa with eight pass break-ups and three interceptions. For his efforts, he earned first-team All-American honors from Pro Football Focus. Well-known for his speed, Castro also comes in with a speed rating of 92, tied for the sixth-fastest in the game.
Jackson had a successful first season with the Hawkeyes in 2023 after transferring to Iowa from Virginia in the 2022 offseason, recording 110 tackles and two forced fumbles. Nwankpa rounds out the list after tallying 42 tackles, one interception, and two pass break-ups last year.
Kinnick Stadium features
After much speculation, EA announced the famous “Kinnick Wave” would be featured in the game during one of its trailers. The “Kinnick Wave” debuted during the 2017 football season and features fans inside Kinnick Stadium waving to the young patients in the adjacent Stead Family Children’s Hospital following the first quarter of every home game.
Like a real game, the video game will transition to the special tradition following the first quarter of every game, allowing gamers to feel as if they were participating in the tradition in-person.
EA also added a special feature to the virtual fans at Kinnick Stadium where players will have the opportunity to see the rowdy fans striping the stadium with black and gold, similar to the real-life annual Black and Gold Stripe-Out Game each season.
Kinnick Stadium was ranked No. 20 on the game’s “Toughest Places to Play” list, which includes Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium and Georgia’s Sanford Stadium.