Colorado head coach Deion Sanders will not appear in EA Sports College Football 27, marking the third consecutive year the high-profile coach has declined to have his likeness included in the game.
The game releases worldwide on July 9 and became available to MVP+ members on July 2, according to Yahoo Sports. Sanders joins six other head coaches who opted out: Mario Cristobal of Miami, Bill Belichick of North Carolina, Kirk Ferentz of Iowa, Bronco Mendenhall of Utah State, Blake Anderson of Southern Mississippi, and Neal Brown of North Texas.
That number is down from last year's edition, when 12 coaches opted out. Sanders, Belichick, Cristobal, Ferentz, and Mendenhall were also absent from last year's game.
Sanders, Belichick, Cristobal, Ferentz, and Mendenhall have now been absent from multiple consecutive editions. Sanders has previously been selective about licensing deals and has preferred to control his own brand.
Colorado fans who open a dynasty save in the game will find a placeholder rather than Coach Prime on the sideline.
There is one nod to Sanders in the game. When creating a Road to Glory cornerback, one of the five foundational player templates is Deion Sanders, listed as the bump and run cornerback archetype. The other templates are Rod Woodson as a boundary cornerback, Antonio Cromartie and Aqib Talib as field cornerbacks, and Richard Sherman as a zone cornerback.
Sanders remains one of the most prominent figures in college football. His absence from the game is notable given Colorado's national profile and the attention the program has drawn since he took over.
EA Sports College Football 27 goes on general sale July 9.
