College Football 26 review: A step in the right direction for a revived franchise

After College Football 25 revived the fan-favorite NCAA Football franchise following a decade of slumber, College Football 26 aims to improve the legacy of the series even further. Fans of the franchise often prefer these games to Madden titles due to the emotion, pageantry, and immersion that the big leagues fail to deliver, but can the latest installment successfully capture the essence of college ball?

EA Sports has taken the feedback from the previous title and made a genuine attempt to provide gamers with an even better experience. There is a generous mix of minor tweaks and brand-new features that aim to make College Football 26 the most realistic and entertaining depiction of the sport, and this review will discuss the pros and cons of every aspect.

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College Football 26 makes some impressive strides in the footsteps of its predecessor

There are various ways to enter the virtual field of College Football 26. Fans can indulge in PvP gameplay in online modes like Ultimate Team, manage their favorite teams via the Dynasty mode, or create their own athlete and aim for greatness in the Road to Glory mode.

This review covers all these modes, along with the gameplay and presentation of this brand-new title.

Gameplay

The core gameplay mechanics have remained largely unchanged from College Football 25. However, some minor adjustments aim to make the experience more immersive.

The Wear and Tear feature has been altered to be less punishing and more realistic, and the playbook is more expansive than ever, offering more than 45 new formations and over 2,800 new plays.

Interceptions have been tweaked for extra realism as well, as AI defenders are now unable to intercept passes if the ball is not in their direct line of sight. You can even make Dynamic Substitutions in College Football 26 without having to pause the game by simply using your D-Pad.

Stats and Abilities matter more than ever before. My first game in the new title was Texas Longhorns vs Penn State, and using any teams with lower overall ratings felt substantially more challenging after that experience. The Heisman ability tier is also an important new mechanic, as gaining momentum in a game will allow players to have an 'Out of Body' boost to their abilities.

However, some areas leave a bit to be desired. The Frostbite engine is still not ideal for sports simulation games, and this is evident in the game mechanics during some collisions and other physical interactions.

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Presentation

Pre-game presentation is realistic and intense (Image via EA Sports)

This is arguably the game's strongest point. Fans of college football are enamored by the game day pageantry and traditions, and the latest title does a fantastic job of bringing it to life in the virtual world. With 34 new mascots, 88 new marching band songs, and plenty of authentic celebrations and pre-game runouts, College Football 26 excels in the presentation department.

The graphics and visuals are excellent, with the Dynamic Lighting system adapting to the time of day. The stadium ambience is more electric than ever, causing the screen to shake in particularly intense moments as the marching band joins in to elevate the experience even further.

However, the commentary has plenty of room for improvement. It has a slightly generic feel to it and could certainly benefit from having additional audio cues for some of the best players.

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Ultimate Team

Ultimate Team has more events to grind (Image via EA Sports)

Ultimate Team is the premier PvP destination for almost every mainstream sports game. College Football 26 has its very own College Ultimate Team (or CUT) game mode, where fans can either spend money on microtransactions or grind gameplay challenges to obtain better players via packs and upgrade their rosters.

There are some easy comparisons to make between CUT and Madden Ultimate Team. While gameplay is certainly more immersive and enjoyable in the former, the latter has had more time to gather a large player base when compared to the recently revived franchise. MUT also has better and more frequent content drops.

However, EA Sports has promised to improve the cadence of content release in CUT as well. There will be more events and challenges than ever before, providing fans with better opportunities to level up their lineups.

The Pack Helper tool is also a neat new addition, as it makes the menu experience more seamless by allowing gamers to compare the items in their pack with their current roster and update it directly.

The new Pack Helper tool (Image via EA Sports)

Overall, the Ultimate Team mode in College Football 26 showcases plenty of promise for the future.

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Road to Glory mode

Player customization is enjoyable (Image via EA Sports)

Creating your own custom athlete and taking charge of their career through the trials and tribulations of the sport plays a key role in the allure of any sports gaming title. Unfortunately, the Road to Glory mode in College Football 26 offers a mixed bag of pros and cons in this regard.

The player customization option is detailed and offers plenty of options for gamers to create their ideal star. The process of improving your skills, managing your grades, and seeking recruitment from top colleges also provides an engaging experience. However, some minor details keep this mode from reaching its true potential in College Football 26.

The Moments feature is restrictive (Image via EA Sports)

The overall immersion suffers due to some broken trust mechanics that get you in your coach's bad books despite your best efforts to maintain your grades and professional conduct. The pre-set match conditions, or Moments, are also somewhat of a hindrance as they divert your attention towards completing specific objectives rather than stealing the show with match-winning performances.

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Dynasty Mode

The Head Coach skill tree in Dynasty Mode (Image via EA Sports)

Dynasty Mode provides the ultimate managerial experience in College Football 26, allowing fans to take charge of their favorite teams and lead them to glory on and off the field.

EA Sports has made several quality-of-life improvements in this mode by optimizing the user interface and menus, offering more customization options for your coach, and tweaking the requirements for how many in-game 'Hours' it takes to perform certain tasks.

The skill tree upgrades are more challenging, making it a more rewarding process overall.

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Conclusion

College Football 26 certainly takes some strides in the right direction. EA Sports has taken player feedback on board and introduced some new features, minor tweaks, and fixes, making this title a valid alternative for the mainstream Madden series.

The game excels in its presentation and depiction of the emotion attached to college football. The electric atmosphere in the stadiums, pre-game rituals, resounding marching band tunes, and mid-game ambience elevate the gameplay experience in general. The various game modes also offer a variety of ways to enjoy the sport.

However, the game still has plenty of room for growth. The shortcomings of the Frostbite engine can sometimes lead to unrealistic and buggy occurrences during games, leading to a loss of immersion. The Ultimate Team game mode is also relatively bare-bones compared to Madden and other sports titles.

Despite these flaws, College Football 26 still offers an amazing footballing experience that holds a lot of potential for the future of this fan-favorite franchise.

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College Football 26 Review

The final verdict (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming)

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 (Code provided by EA Sports)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Released on: July 10, 2025

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh