by Peterson » Fri Aug 01, 2025 8:26 am
Several notable college football coaches are missing from the initial release of EA Sports College Football 26 due to opting out of licensing their name, image, and likeness. Among the most high-profile absences are:
Deion Sanders (Colorado)
Bill Belichick (North Carolina)
Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)
Mario Cristobal (Miami)
Bronco Mendenhall (Utah State)
Other coaches such as Charles Kelly (Jacksonville State), Frank Reich (Stanford), Trent Dilfer (UAB), Bryant Vincent (UL Monroe), Tyson Helton (Western Kentucky), Mark Carney (Kent State), and Jason Eck (New Mexico) are also not included.
Bill Belichick is replaced by a fictional coach named "Hector Luna" in the game for North Carolina, and Deion Sanders's coaching role is replaced by "Kirk Patrick" for Colorado. Belichick’s absence is consistent with his long-standing refusal to license his likeness for EA Sports games, famously also missing from Madden NFL games during his NFL coaching career.
The reasons vary but often include disagreement over licensing terms or personal choice by the coaches. Despite these missing figures, 125 out of 136 FBS head coaches are included, making for a largely authentic coaching roster. For players customizing their Dynasty mode or Ultimate Team experience—especially those who buy NCAA 26 Coins to upgrade coaching staff or unlock team content—the fictional replacements may affect immersion slightly, but the overall experience remains robust.
If you follow a school whose coach is missing, the game substitutes generic or fictional characters for those coaching positions until any potential future DLC or updates might add the real coaches. Still, with fan engagement at a high—driven by online play and features like recruiting—it’s clear that cheap CFB 26 Coins and a deep feature set are helping fans stay immersed, even without every real-life coach present at launch.
Several notable college football coaches are missing from the initial release of EA Sports College Football 26 due to opting out of licensing their name, image, and likeness. Among the most high-profile absences are:
Deion Sanders (Colorado)
Bill Belichick (North Carolina)
Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)
Mario Cristobal (Miami)
Bronco Mendenhall (Utah State)
Other coaches such as Charles Kelly (Jacksonville State), Frank Reich (Stanford), Trent Dilfer (UAB), Bryant Vincent (UL Monroe), Tyson Helton (Western Kentucky), Mark Carney (Kent State), and Jason Eck (New Mexico) are also not included.
Bill Belichick is replaced by a fictional coach named "Hector Luna" in the game for North Carolina, and Deion Sanders's coaching role is replaced by "Kirk Patrick" for Colorado. Belichick’s absence is consistent with his long-standing refusal to license his likeness for EA Sports games, famously also missing from Madden NFL games during his NFL coaching career.
The reasons vary but often include disagreement over licensing terms or personal choice by the coaches. Despite these missing figures, 125 out of 136 FBS head coaches are included, making for a largely authentic coaching roster. For players customizing their Dynasty mode or Ultimate Team experience—especially those who buy NCAA 26 Coins to upgrade coaching staff or unlock team content—the fictional replacements may affect immersion slightly, but the overall experience remains robust.
If you follow a school whose coach is missing, the game substitutes generic or fictional characters for those coaching positions until any potential future DLC or updates might add the real coaches. Still, with fan engagement at a high—driven by online play and features like recruiting—it’s clear that cheap CFB 26 Coins and a deep feature set are helping fans stay immersed, even without every real-life coach present at launch.
