On-field success earns Penn State football a massive pay-day

Penn State football is in the game. Anticipation is building for college football’s return to the virtual gridiron with the release of EA Sports College Football 25 this summer. As the July release date gets closer, we’ve learned more about the nuances involved with bringing back the popular game. This week, Cllct Media uncovered the payouts received by all 134 FBS programs for their appearance in the video game. Penn State will be among the highest-grossing schools in the country, due in large part to the on-field success experienced by James Franklin and the Nittany Lions over the last decade.

Penn State football among top-grossing programs in EA Sports College Football 25

In an exclusive article published Friday, Matt Liberman of Cllct Media used FOIA requests to document the guaranteed royalties each FBS school will earn for its appearance in EA Sports College Football 25 this summer.

Liberman states as of March, EA Sports was distributing revenue into four tiers. The tiers are based on AP poll finishes between 2014 – the first year without an NCAA video game – and 2023. Each season with a finish in the AP Top 25 is worth one point.

Payouts in the tiers are as follows:

• Tier 1: $99,875.16
• Tier 2: $59,925.09
• Tier 3: $39,950.06
• Tier 4: $9,987.52

Based on this information, Cllct determined each FBS program’s payout. Penn State football is one of only 13 programs in tier one, earning a lump sum of almost $100,000.

How much each school earns from EA Sports College Football 25 based on final AP Poll rankings last decade via @cllctMedia. All 134 FBS schools split into 4 tiers

Tier 1: $99,875.16
Tier 2: $59,925.09
Tier 3: $39,950.06
Tier 4: $9,987.52 pic.twitter.com/hHxAybWBW1

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) May 24, 2024

James Franklin and the Nittany Lions have finished in the AP Top 25 six times in the last decade, including a four-year consecutive run from 2016 to 2019. Penn State finished as high as No. 7, which occurred twice – once in 2016 and again in 2022.

According to Liberman, Michigan and LSU made the final AP Top 25 seven times. Georgia, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame did so eight times. Clemson, Ohio State, and Alabama had AP Top 25 finishes in all 10 years.

University making massive investment in football

While the revenue from College Football 25 may be among the highest in the country, the video game payout pales in comparison to the dollars and cents discussed around University Park this week.

On Tuesday, the Penn State Board of Trustees approved a $700 million renovation plan for Beaver Stadium by a 26-2 vote (three abstaining). This is part of the previously approved $70 million safety renovations that are currently in process.

The open discussion about the plan helped shed light on the full financial impact of Penn State football on the State College community. Athletic director Pat Kraft noted that home football games currently generate an average of $16.2 million in tourism and economic growth.

Initial updates are focused on winterization in the need of a potential College Football Playoff game this December. Future updates will look to widen concourses, add escalators, improve field lighting and videoboards, and build a new welcome center, among other changes.

The project is expected to be completed by the 2027 season.

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