Arch Manning Won’t Be in EA Sports College Football 25, and Fans Have Strong Opinions

Texas quarterback Arch Manning made ripples this week when he decided not to opt into EA Sports’s upcoming video game, College Football 25.

Manning’s choice to stay out of the highly anticipated game turned him into something of a black sheep in the college football world. EA Sports announced Monday that more than 10,000 of the roughly 11,000 eligible players already have opted to be included in the game, a decision which earns each athlete $600 and a free copy of the game as compensation.

So, what’s not to like about being included in the video game? 

Manning told Rivals reporter Anwar Richardson that he is “focused on playing football on the field,” a reason that elicited some wild reactions from fans and observers on social media.

Arch Manning, the nephew of legendary NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, signed with the Longhorns as a five-star recruit in 2023 and spent his first season as a redshirt behind starter Quinn Ewers and backup Maalik Murphy. The rising sophomore is expected to back up Ewers in the 2024-25 campaign, as Murphy has since transferred to Duke.