Does Madden 23 Have a College Football Career Mode?
In short – no, Madden NFL 23 does not feature the option to play through a college career en route to the pros. But EA Sports is prepping a new college-focused video game for 2024 that will let you fully experience the atmosphere of NCAA football.
As a long-time gridiron gamer, I‘ve been eagerly awaiting the chance to revive my virtual college days ever since the beloved NCAA Football series halted after 2014. And I know many fans share that nostalgia.
So while Madden 23 shifts to an NFL-centric story mode, let‘s breakdown what we know about the past, present and future of these football video game franchises.
The Glory Days of NCAA Football
First, a quick history lesson for those unfamiliar with the now defunct college series that still holds a special place in fans‘ hearts…
EA Sports NCAA Football first kicked off in 1993 on the SEGA Genesis. What started as "Bill Walsh College Football" soon adopted the official NCAA name and licensing a year later.
Over 20 annual installments, the games not only benefited from the NCAA partnership but also an exclusive deal with the Collegiate Licensing Company. This allowed the integration of countless university trademarks, mascots, uniforms, stadiums and more at a level of authenticity impossible in Madden.
The ability to lead your own player through a full college career from high school recruiting to the NFL draft became a staple of Dynasty mode. Add in raucous college crowds cheering your fight song, the signature presentation of ESPN‘s College GameDay pregame show, and customizable conference expansion – and you‘ve got a sports gaming fan‘s dream!
NCAA Football gained a loyal following through the 2000s. Reviewers praised its strategic gameplay focused on option runs and unique college rules. Annual sales routinely topped 2 million copies in its prime.
But the legal ground would soon shift under the NCAA series. With the rise of sponsorship deals for individual college athletes, profits made using their likenesses prompted calls for compensation and lawsuits.
This growing pressure (alongside struggling reviews of NCAA Football 14) led EA to indefinitely suspend the franchise after 2013 while lawsuits played out. And fans were left empty-handed now 8 seasons later…
EA Sports Returns to Campus in Madden
After the NCAA series‘ untimely demise, EA Sports focused efforts on its Madden NFL juggernaut. And this professional-only focus continued over the back half of the 2010s.
But in 2021, EA began dipping their toes back in the college game via an update to the ever-popular Madden Ultimate Team (MUT) mode. Madden 22 introduced Campus Legends which let you take college legends from 10 universities and pit them head-to-head using NFL gameplay rules. Fan-favorite players like Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush made their video game return…of sorts.
The mini-expansion didn‘t satiate desires for a true college football experience though. And shortly after in February 2022, EA shocked fans announcing they had signed deals with over 150 partners including the FBC, numerous universities, bowl games, and conferences to produce EA Sports College Football. Set to launch in Summer 2024 after missing 2023 intentionally, this promises to be the most expansive college game ever attempted.
But in the meantime, what does Madden 23 offer for those seeking some semblance of college gameplay today? Enter the revamped Face of the Franchise (FOTF) mode…
Madden 23 Focuses on the NFL Journey
Madden NFL 23 shifts the position of its FOTF story mode compared to recent entries. Rather than create a custom rookie destined for college football stardom, you instead guide a 5th year NFL veteran trying to lock down a legacy-defining contract.
It‘s an abrupt change that signals EA‘s full attention now on the forthcoming college title. Let‘s examine the refocused setup:
Madden 23 FOTF Game Mode Overview
- Choose 1 of 5 positions: QB, RB, WR, LB, CB
- Start as mid-career free agent with backstory
- Compete through 7-10 game campaign
- Dialogue choices alter paths
- Recruiting visits pitch your fit
- Performance shapes contract
- Goals require 2,500-5,000 yards/TDs
You can see this spins the convention shown in recent Maddens of building a hotshot prospect, committing to a college program, and checking boxes en route to the NFL.
Instead the emphasis lands squarely on proving yourself worthy of a lucrative deal. Tightened scope condenses the high school recruiting, college ball fanfare, and draft process into a brief playable prologue.
Bridging the college-to-pro gap clearly took a backseat to launching the new EA Sports College Football title sooner.
The Future Looks Bright for NCAA Football Fans
While the above may disappoint gamers itching to reboot their coaching aspirations today, all signs point to EA cooking up an absolute showstopper college football return for 2024:
- Contracts securing over 150 partners for licensing, brands, rights
- Intent for "most expansive college football offering ever"
- Targeting next-gen consoles with modern gameplay engine
- Building from the ground up over two year dev cycle
- Plans to integrate coach and player career modes
Their transparency and early ambitions indicate EA seeks to recapture all the depth and immersion that made NCAA Football renowned during its golden PS2-era run.
The key wildcard remains exactly how EA aims to implement the use of real athletes in this new title thanks to relaxed amateurism policies. Allowing players to profit from NIL deals appears prime to enable importing roster names. NCAA 23 rosters mirroring real-world teams would be an authenticity jackpot.
While unclear if high school recruiting and combines will carry over from the NCAA days, I‘d bet EA reintroduces these cherished career features. The developers know much of the series‘ fandom centered around guiding your created baller from prep phenom to national champion and beyond.
The overall vibe suggests a very bright future ahead for virtual college football when EA Sports returns to campus in 2024.
The Bottom Line
So after breaking down all the above, what‘s the verdict on whether:
"Madden 23 offers fans a college football career experience?"
The answer is a resounding no. The decision to remove high school and NCAA gameplay represents a missed opportunity given otherwise slim pickings for college video game fans nowadays.
While I don‘t mind the inserted NFL career focus of Face of the Franchise mode, enforcing that through the first seasons of a custom player‘s journey feels restrictive. The best classic NCAA series moments came creating legends at lesser known schools – not merely gunning for NFL dollars.
The lack of meaningful college content in Madden feels amplified knowing we have a two year wait until EA College Football‘s kickoff. That anticipation is both equally exciting as it is frustrating!
Yet I can‘t be too critical realizing the forthcoming commitment to recapturing NCAA glory in its purest form come 2024. EA Sports seems poised to deliver the complete, all-encompassing college football recreation followers have demanded since 2014.
For now, we collectors will keep booting up NCAA Football 14 rosters to get our fix. But rest assured an exciting future awaits on Saturdays very soon!
So let the countdown begin… only 700 more days until we‘re truly back in college!
