SEC to stop licensing trademarks to EA Sports

The SEC logo won't be appearing in EA Sports' NCAA Football game. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

The SEC announced that it would no longer license its trademarks to EA Sports for the popular NCAA Football video game, according to reports Wednesday.

The league's decision follows the NCAA's announcement of a similar move last month. The alleged use of player likenesses in video games is at the heart of the lawsuit filed by former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon and other current and former athletes against the NCAA, EA Sports and the College Licensing Company. The NCAA said its current legal battles played a role in its decision.

The SEC's announcement addresses the use of its logo and does not dictate that schools in the conference must also decline to license their trademarks to the game.

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The SEC, in a statement Wednesday, said:

"Each school makes its own individual decision regarding whether or not to license their trademarks for use in the EA Sports game(s). The Southeastern Conference has chosen not to do so moving forward. "Neither the SEC, its member universities, nor the NCAA have ever licensed the right to use the name or likeness of any student to EA Sports."