Under the terms of the deal, Electronic Arts (EA) will have exclusivity to use NCAA teams, stadiums and schools in its college football videogames, the first of which, NCAA Football 2006, is scheduled for release this summer.
The agreement covers games for all videogame consoles including console online features and handheld devices.
It is the latest licensing contract secured by EA, which had previously inked exclusivity deals with the National Football League, Arena Football League and ESPN, in a 15-year deal that gave the company full access to its broadcast, print and online components. Last month, the National Basketball Association bucked the trend by signing agreements with five separate game publishers, including EA. Rival Take-Two, meanwhile, is falling behind with its partially exclusive deal with Major League Baseball.
