What the new EA college football video game got right about BYU, and what it got wrong

Back in my day ...

We manually updated every roster into NCAA Football 14. We tried to make out different stadiums from the grainy video game graphics. We pretended the No. 10 on your chosen team was actually the current quarterback of the program.

But those days are gone. And now when your friends fire up a video game console to play college football, there will be no guesswork involved. EA Sports College Football 25 has all the players, stadiums and intricacies for BYU fans.

Here is what the game got right about the Cougars, and what needs work.

Right: LaVell Edwards Stadium

When the video game pans in on Provo, LaVell Edwards Stadium looks incredibly realistic. The field, with the powder blue end zones and Big 12 logos, is marked correctly. The video boards, both the larger and smaller ones, are in the right end zones. The suites and press box with the LaVell Edwards Stadium sign look right.

But the smaller details are what really make the game feel realistic. The ribbon video boards that wrap around the stadium are there. When you go to a BYU game, the score and time will be displayed at the end of each ribbon board. Ads take up the rest. The game reflects that placement.

The goalposts are painted white on the video game. The railings next to the seats are painted blue just as they would be in real life.

The game got the concourse right. It has the large “Stretch Y’ peering out from the corner of the south end, where there are spiral stairs to get up to the second level. It shows the difference between the family section right next to the field and the walkway before you get to the general seating. It even put the visitor fan section in the correct area — right on the edge of the south end zone.

The stadium lights are done correctly. At BYU, the light poles are quite visible as they tower over the home side of the field. The play clock is the right size too.

Right: The entrance and in-game experience

In the game, the way each team runs out onto the field is specific to the traditions of a school. At BYU, the team comes out of the north end zone tunnel and runs through the middle of the field under a BYU banner. The band forms a pathway for them to go through.

The game included that. It shows the players walking out from the locker room, under the overhang, and out onto the field with a mascot in front.

That goes along with the chants and fight song, which are correct. When BYU picks up a first down in the game, it plays the growling sound of a Cougar.

Right: Rivalries

BYU won’t play every one of its rivals this year, but the game still includes them. It has the Battle for the Old Wagon Wheel with Utah State. It features the Wyoming rivalry — which BYU will play this year — and, of course, the in-state rivalry with Utah. Rivalry games have a special designation in the game aside from regular season matchups.

Incomplete: Mountains

For as realistic as the stadium is, the mountains in the backdrop of LES could use some work. The game basically only has one large, pointed mountain in the background. It doesn’t look realistic to the setting in Provo.

Incomplete: Uniforms

There are a variety of uniforms BYU has in the game. That includes the standard home and away. It has the navy blue, all white and some alternates. But it doesn’t have all the options. One helmet in particular that is not in the game is the painted Cougar helmet BYU wore against Arkansas at home in 2022.

Incomplete: Fourth quarter tradition

The fire dancing in between the third and fourth quarter in Provo is not in the game. While the PA announcer does sound like the one at BYU, not all the fan traditions are included.

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