Northwestern Head Football Coach Officially in EA's College Football 26

This year's version of the game will feature team's real coaches.

Nov 2, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach David Braun high fives Northwestern Wildcats tight end Marshall Lang (88) during the second quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Last year, EA Sports's NCAA College Football video game returned after an 11-year hiatus starting after the 2013 version. The hype surrounding its release was immense, as adults who played the game when they were kids couldn't wait to get their hands on the new version.

The game was a massive hit. According to the New York Times, industry tracker Circana reported that it was the best-selling sports video game of all time. Living up to EA Sports's reputation, the game was hyper-realistic and included real college football rosters. But it was missing one key aspect.

In 2025's version, the coaches were auto-generated and had random names. It was the one thing missing for fans who wanted the fully realistic team-building experience.

Now, fans are gearing up for the early-July release of College Football 26, and the coaching issue has been rectified. Northwestern Football announced via X today that its head coach, David Braun, will be featured in the game.

Coach Braun is in the game, @EASPORTSCollege 🎮 pic.twitter.com/4PAVbP9lPe

— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) May 30, 2025

Northwestern fans can now hop on their console of choice and run the team as if they were Braun, and the coach himself will be standing on the sidelines. It won't make a meaningful difference in actual game play, but on the other hand, it will be more cool. There's something to be said for that.

Braun is entering his third season as Northwestern's head coach, his second without an interim tag. In his first season, the 'Cats shocked a lot of people and won a bowl game. His second season didn't go as well in an expanded Big Ten, but he has an opportunity to turn things around in 2025. Lots of video game players will certainly be turning things around in his role.