The latest installment of EA Sports College Football is breaking a long-standing tradition for the series, and bringing back an element from 30 years ago. For a long time, the cover art of College Football games, similar to Madden NFL games, has featured a single player, sometimes two or three. Last year's College Football 25 featured three athletes on its Standard Edition cover, and a crowd of players on its Deluxe Edition. However, College Football 26's Deluxe Edition cover is shaking things up by bringing back a series tradition from the 1990s.

College Football 25 may have been the first college football game in a decade, but it was far from the first one EA Sports ever made. The series dates back to 1993 when it was originally called Bill Walsh College Football. The then Head Coach of Stanford's name on the title was meant to reflect John Madden's endorsement of the Madden series. EA Sports changed the series' name after Walsh stopped coaching in 1995, with the next game being College Football USA 96, which was also the last game to follow the pattern that CFB 26 is bringing back.

College Football 26 Deluxe Edition Honors Coaches & More

College Football Covers Have Only Featured Players For The Last 30 Years

College Football 26's Standard Edition cover features wide receivers Ryan Williams from Alabama and Jeremiah Smith from Ohio State. While both are also featured prominently on the Deluxe Edition cover, they are ed by a variety of other players, coaches, and even mascots. This is a major change of pace, as covers for EA Sports' college football games have featured only athletes since College Football USA 97.

However, while this seems like a big departure from what most players are used to, it is actually in line with the series' origins. Bill Walsh College Football and Bill Walsh College Football 95 featured images of both Walsh and players on the cover. While no coaches were present on the cover of College Football USA 96, it did feature a mascot and even some marching band . So, College Football 26's new cover is less of a departure and more of a return to the series' roots.

That said, just because something is old, or a tradition, doesn't necessarily mean it's for the best. Personally, I'm a little torn about how this new cover style looks, especially in comparison to the Standard Edition Cover and the ones from College Football 25. The main issue is that the way the picture is composed makes the frame feel a bit too cluttered.

EA Sports College Football 26 Has Cluttered Covers

College Football 26's Cover Is Messy Compared To Previous Years

In principle, I like the idea of including coaches and mascots on the game's cover. I wouldn't even mind seeing some additional students on the cover, like the marching band from College Football USA 96. After all, a big appeal of College Football 25 was how the game leaned into the college setting to distinguish itself from Madden NFL 25. However, I just am not a big fan of the picture itself, with the players, coaches, and mascots cluttering up the entire frame. Some near the back even have their heads cut off in the horizontal version online.

College Football 25's Deluxe Edition cover found a more elegant solution. Even though it featured a large group of players, it grounded them in the setting of entering the field, and we could see fans in the background. This created a stronger sense of place, instead of just feeling like a school picture. I won't mind if College Football 27 continues to include more than just players on the cover, but I hope it uses a more interesting setting than College Football 26. Players mid-game with coaches, fans, and mascots in the background would be nicer to look at.