After it was reported that EA Sports had lost out to 2K Sports in capitalizing on the chance to bring collegiate basketball back to videogames in the way that EA has done with College Football, 2K took a victory lap and confirmed that it will be creating a "college basketball experience" for its NBA 2K games, some of which 2K implies we'll start to see in NBA 2K26, which is out today at the time of this writing, on September 5, 2025.
Yesterday, we learned through an internal memo first reported by Extra Points that EA Sports was walking away from trying to bring about the EA Sports College Basketball game it had teased in June. Enough schools had instead chosen to take 2K's proposal of being included in the NBA 2K games, so EA took its ball and went home, rescinding the offers it had put out to various colleges and universities in the United States, leaving 2K's proposal the only one on the board.
Not too long after those reports hit the wire, 2K put out a statement on X (formerly Twitter) and confirmed that it is "going back to school." It even took the chance to take a dig at EA by highlighting the fact that its proposal to schools was the "quality" choice.
"Yes, it's true. We're working on a college basketball experience that will feature more than 100 programs from across the country, from powerhouses to Cinderella stories. Competition fuels quality at all levels, which is why our approach with college basketball ensures our partner schools, college athletes and our players all benefit."
The statement then goes on to indicate we'll start to see some air of what this full experience will be in this year's release, though it does clarify that players should expect the majority of what this will become starting in 2027, and expect it to grow from there. "You won't have to wait long to start seeing your favorite colleges show up in game. We've got big plans for 2027 and beyond, and even a few surprises coming in early 2026."
"We've proven the quality of the basketball experience we can deliver for years," the statement continues, "and have every intention to bring that same level of quality to college hoops."
While there are surely some disappointed college basketball fans who might've wanted it to have a college basketball-dedicated game, depending on how far 2K takes the college mode its building, it might just be the best scenario to get your college and professional league basketball in one package, instead of having to buy two games, the way American football fans have to buy two football games.
It's also admittedly fun to see 2K and EA compete like this, and to see both seemingly fire small shots at the other, with more understandably coming from 2K at EA's expense, with them being the victor in this collegiate basketball game derby.
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