College Football 25 Road to Glory deep dive details damage system & effects of NIL deals

The latest College Football 25 deep dive focused on Road to Glory, modified for the modern-day college athlete. Rather than just focusing on football and studies, players now need to navigate the realities of NIL agreements and plan for the future.

It’s been a busy past few days for EA Sports. The developers of College Football 25 released the top 100 players list on July 10, giving fans a look at which players will be on top for kickoff in mid-July. On July 11, the focus turned to Road to Glory.

Road to Glory, NCAA Football’s career mode, is returning for College Football 25. But, things will look quite different.

Much of the changes have been made to replicate the authentic experience of being a college football star.

EA Sports

In a developer deep dive, the College Football 25 team detailed their inspiration for Road to Glory. Much like for Dynasty, the developers spoke with those in the know, and in this case, current and former college athletes.

Thus, players must manage the real-life tasks of a college athlete. This includes managing the GPA, taking care of one’s body and training, being a leader, and winning football games.

College Football 25 players can choose multiple pathways at the starting point of Road to Glory, whether it be a 5-Star Recruit or a low-rated one. From there, choose an archetype that affects the build of the player. Then, the recruiting process begins. Schools will have an interest bar and users will know how a player stacks up on their depth chart and scholarship status.

Once a school is chosen, the road begins. Players will need to go through practice to get a coach’s trust to improve depth chart positioning and additional playcalling responsibilities. Team-building activities will build leadership roles. There are also GPA thresholds. Those with below a 2.0 GPA are ineligible for games. However, a GPA above 3.0 unlocks a Fan Favorite Mental Ability.

Also, the damage system, injuries sustained during games in College Football 25, will not automatically recover during the week. Rest periods, though, will heal injuries and wear and tear.

EA Sports

Other components of Road to Glory include scenarios that can positively or negatively affect growth and name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals. NIL deals will take up energy, but will also come with in-game attribute bonuses and off-field bonuses. The latter can include increasing followers for brand growth or health upgrades.

Much like with Dynasty, the Transfer Portal will be present in Road to Glory. Here, players can change schools to pursue other opportunities.

And, EA finished off by re-confirming avatars can be exported to Madden 25 upon the completion of Road to Glory.

Be sure to check out what else is coming to College Football 25.