BLOOMINGTON — In late April, Mark Skirvin came to Andrew Mascharka with a job no one had tackled in at least eight years.
Skirvin, IU’s assistant athletic director for marketing, needed Mascharka to take some time between the women’s basketball postseason and football spring practice to come up with a checklist with him at Memorial Stadium, and took what turned out to be about 800 photos.
Stills, panoramic shots, even full 360-degree spins, from the yard lines on both sides of and including the 50-yard line. Mascharka needed to capture the stage from a variety of depths, and several specific angles, for shot after shot on the incredibly detailed list that Skirvin provided. Mascharka, the director of photography for IU Athletics, and the interns working with him needed to add shots of something unique in the stadium, such as Hep’s Rock, the five-story press box and the distinctive twin spiers of the IU’s North End Zone facility.
More: No, IU’s Memorial Stadium is not getting flashy renovations. Maybe new pipes, though.
Skirvin needed everything by April 15. It was the hard deadline he had given to return all the photos to Electronic Arts, as part of the video game giant’s revival of one of its oldest – and most coveted – game series: ” NCAA Football”.
“They were very specific. They had a sheet that basically guided us through what they needed,” Mascharka told IndyStar. “They are focused on making this as detailed and accurate as possible.”
EA’s NCAA football franchise — which began as “Bill Walsh College Football” before evolving into its more modern vintage — was at its peak among the most popular sports video games in the country. Even now, eight years after it was discontinued in part due to legal concerns over the use of likenesses, the game’s users annually produce and share detailed rosters for every team in the game, downloadable as long as a gamer has an “NCAA 14” disc, an Xbox. 360 (college sports games are not made backwards compatible) and an internet connection.
What caused the discontinuation of “NCAA Football,” and other college sports video games like “College Hoops 2K,” is the same thing that is now opening the door for their return.
Perhaps the most prominent initial challenge to the NCAA’s ban on athlete compensation actually arose from a video game, when former UCLA star Ed O’Bannon realized his likeness was still being used in games of college basketball long after his career ended. O’Bannon said he should share in any profits from such use.
From 2009, when his lawsuit was filed, until today, O’Bannon v. A variety of other legal actions arose, some of which accelerated the adoption of the name, image and likeness reform last year.
EA’s original franchise died after the 2014 iteration, as the NCAA and other entities walked away from licensing deals in an increasingly tenuous legal climate.
With NIL now allowed – and state law in some cases – a closed door is now open again. On February 2, 2021, five months before NIL’s activities were officially legalized, EA tweeted a photo of a football field strewn with confetti, with the message: “For those who never stopped believing, College Football is back.”
The long-awaited relaunch is scheduled for July 2023.
“It’s a coach’s dream.” UNC transfer Emery Simmons adds intrigue to IU’s receiving corps.
“He worked his tail off.” James Head hopes to give the IU D-line the game it’s been missing.
There remain a variety of obstacles to restart the franchise, not least of which is organizing license agreements with all the athletes involved. In some cases, the schools’ athletes have already entered into group licensing agreements that could speed up the process, but the broader effort likely remains complicated.
What EA asked the schools for was detail – as much as humanly possible.
“They gave us a lot of guidelines,” Mascharka said. “They wanted as close to a render as they could get.”
That involved the long and detailed checklist that included shots from specific yard lines, spots in the stadium and corners of an empty Memorial Stadium. Mascharka and his team needed in some cases to get the same shot from 22.5 degrees and 45 degrees, for example, with EA specifying 21 places around the field that would need to complete their rendering.
In addition, the company requested those specific reference points of the stadium, to add depth to its reconstruction. Mascharka said the designers also requested small touches, such as the placement of a storm drain near the field, to get even the finest details in their final render.
“So they needed us to go and capture the important places in the stadium,” he said, “to make sure they do it too.”
At the same time, IU Senior Associate AD for Strategic Communications Jeremy Gray compiled a similarly detailed list of potential sound effects specific to Memorial Stadium. What music should the band play on first down as opposed to third down, for example, or if they would do something different after a touchdown rather than following an extra point. In addition, the company wanted crowd reactions and traditions – for example. The first gear of IU – everything to build as realistic a recreation as possible.
The collection of all this information is a key part of the process of restarting the franchise, which had developed a strong reputation for its attention to detail. All of which gives EA ample time to build those renderings and game day recreations, as schools across the country provide the same information that IU did.
For fans, it’s another welcome step toward the reactivation of “NCAA Football” and potentially into next year.
Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.
Share your feedback to help improve our site!
When did they stop making NCAA basketball?
After rival EA Sports publisher 2K Sports canceled its own college basketball game, College Hoops, in 2008, EA changed the name of the series from NCAA March Madness to NCAA College Basketball. The series was discontinued on February 10, 2010.
Will there be an NCAA Basketball 22? See the article : 49ers Expand Broadcast Reach in Mexico with FOX Sports Partnership.
Why did they stop making NCAA video games?
The holdup came from the side of the NCAA, whose resistance to allowing players to profit in any way while in school made it virtually impossible for EA to continue making the game without another lawsuit. Despite its popularity, EA stopped producing the game.
How long does NCAA basketball last?
Most NCAA games last 2 hours and 10 minutes. With that total, we have 40 minutes for the actual game, two 30-second timeouts for each team, and three general timeouts. Read also : 10 epic Chinese video games that are not ‘gendered effect’ you should try. The total time is 48 minutes. One exciting thing you should note is that college games are usually 8 minutes less than an NBA game.
What was the last NCAA basketball game EA made?
History of the game After the rebranding in 2008 (NCAA Basketball 09), the series provided another title (NCAA Basketball 10) before being canceled; thought to be the result of NCAA name, image and image rules. On the same subject : Michael Jordan is the cover athlete of the NBA 2K23 video game.
Will they make another NCAA football game?
No matter when the game is finally released, college football fans with a modern video game console will be ready to dive into the action. EA Sports has announced the return to a college football video game franchise in February 2021 with a new working title of EA Sports College Football.
Is the NCAA coming out with a new football game? According to a January 2021 proposal obtained by the newsletter Extra Points With Matt Brown, the company with the Collegiate Licensing Corporation informed the schools that they aim to drop a CFB game in July 2023.
Will there be a NCAA Football 21?
We first had news that the game – previously called NCAA Football – was expected to return in February 2021, but multiple reports on Friday said that EA Sports and the Collegiate Licensing Corporation have now informed schools of the new offer of college football. is slated for a July 2023 release.
Is NCAA football coming back in 2022?
The 2022 season will begin on Saturday, August 27 in this year’s “Zero Week”. Most of the nation’s FBS will begin their season next week.
How early should you get to a college football game?
How long before kickoff should you arrive? People typically arrive between four and six hours before kickoff, depending on the kickoff time. The parking lots open at 6 o’clock for 12 and 1 o’clock. kickoffs are 8 a.m. for all other kickoff times.
How long does a college football game usually last? A college football game is on average just under three and a half hours long. It consists of 60 minutes of game action. In 2016, the average FBS college football game lasted 3 hours and 24 minutes.
How long before a match do players arrive?
If kickoff is scheduled for 1:15 p.m., then typically the last players are allowed to arrive at the stadium is around 11 a.m. That gives the players about two hours before the start of the game, which may not seem like a lot of time now, but for the players, it tends to feel like an eternity.
What should I bring to a college football game?
Bring extra layers, the rain is often cold….Useful tips:
- Avoid wearing tennis shoes because your feet will feel dry and cold.
- Umbrellas are not allowed in the stadium, so don’t bring them. Ponchos and rain jackets are much better alternatives.
- Bring towels to dry wet seats before sitting.
How early can you go into a football game?
Most stadiums open their doors 2 hours before kickoff, but there are a few exceptions.
Who was MVP of national championship game?
DeVonta Smith wins CFP National Championship Game Offensive MVP after epic performance.
Who was MVP in the championship game last night? Steph captures elusive Finals MVP after Warriors win title Curry captured the elusive NBA Finals MVP on Thursday night after the Warriors beat the Boston Celtics in Game 6 at TD Garden to win their fourth title in eight seasons
Who was National Championship defensive MVP?
Defense: Nakobe Dean, LB He was the glue that held everything and everyone together this season. His value has been shown not only through the plays he has made, but also in the way he leads his defense every Saturday.
