10 classic teams to feature if EA Sports revives NCAA Football franchise

It’s possible that EA Sports’ NCAA Football video game series will return so what classic teams would this introduce to the nostalgic franchise?

The NCAA’s governing board voted Tuesday that college athletes can now profit off their names, images and likeness, prompting conversation about the return of NCAA Football produced by Electronic Arts. And while there’s plenty to talk about for the potential series moving forward — who will grace the cover(s), will Trevor Lawrence be the highest-rated quarterback ever, etc. — we’ve got one thing in mind: classic teams.

In fact, 2K sports, a rival of EA’s, includes something similar in their basketball franchise which features classic teams from the past — Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, LeBron James’ Miami Heat, the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers. Who would you want to see in the next iteration of NCAA Football from the past?

This list won’t be comprised of teams from only 30-plus years ago, as a handful of teams in recent memory will go down as classic and unforgettable squads. So there will be a mix of classic “old” and classic “new” teams.

Plenty of teams were considered, too, but we settled on these 10. But first, let’s give an honorable mention to a handful of other classic teams and rosters that would’ve been a joy to control and guide to a national championship in the storied Dynasty Mode that included redshirting the youth and recruiting for the future.

Honorable Mentions

• 1988 Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-2); Led by: Barry Sanders, Mike Gundy, Hart Lee Dykes
• 1997 Michigan Wolverines (12-0); Led by: Brian Griese, Charles Woodson, Tom Brady also on the roster
• 2012 West Virginia Mountaineers (7-6); Led by: Geno Smith, Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Karl Joseph

Classic teams don’t necessarily mean teams that won a national championship or possessed a Heisman Trophy winner, they’re simply teams that should’ve been good and teams who would be fun to play with on a video game. Imagine rocking an offense with Mike Gundy and Barry Sanders in the backfield, or any side of the ball with Charles Woodson in a video game. We all saw the video game-like numbers Sanders and Tavon Austin posted while actually in college. What kind of damage could they do in a simulation?

The first classic team we’ll feature as a must-have for NCAA Football is one that posted an 11-1 record, but instead of posting high offensive numbers, they’d be your pick if you wanted to slow an opponent’s attack.