Players can start opting in to EA Sports College Football 25 - ESPN

For over 11,000 college football players, Thursday will be the first chance to opt in to EA Sports' new college football game, EA Sports College Football 25, and get paid for it.

EA Sports has finalized its name, image and likeness plan and will begin the opt-in process. Up to 85 players per school will initially appear on rosters in the game, which comes out this summer.

All athletes who opt in to have their name, image and likeness appear will eventually receive $600, plus a copy of the game that's typically valued at $70. Athletes would remain in the game for the entirety of their careers but could opt out of future editions if they choose. Athletes who remain in the game for multiple years will be paid annually, and players who transfer will continue to be compensated as long as they are on a roster.

«We feel very proud that we'll be the largest program, likely the highest-spending program,» Sean O'Brien, EA Sports' vice president of business development, told ESPN. «And really an inclusive opportunity with an equitable distribution of funds across the board.»

To help arrive at the $600 payment, O'Brien said EA Sports looked at deals completed with other sports titles, including the Madden NFL series, the NHL series and the company's soccer game. EA Sports' college football deal comes with no expected services by the athlete and will be guaranteed no matter the game's success.

«There's nothing been done on this scale that EA is doing, where every student-athlete that participates in the game is guaranteed revenue,» said Cory Moss, the CEO of the Collegiate Licensing Company, which has worked with EA on the game.

There will also be more than 100 additional NIL opportunities for athletes to work with EA Sports. These