There are several glaring issues in College Football 26 that the community has clearly recognized. However, from a development standpoint, if the game is behaving as the code intends, developers often won’t classify these problems as bugs, defects, or broken features. Technically, they may be correct—but the end result is still a frustrating experience for players, leading many in the community to question whether the game is worth their time and money.
With that said, I agree with many of the concerns raised and want to be very clear: College Football 26 is a broken game that somehow made it to General Availability (GA). It’s disappointing that corporate decisions and strict deadlines led to a release of such poor quality.
Here are just a few of the critical issues:
- Defensive AI is unreliable, with blown coverages in nearly every game—often by senior defenders, not freshmen. (Yes, EA, we notice the difference between how underclassmen and upperclassmen play.)
- AI wide receivers routinely fail to even attempt a catch, even when they're wide open.
- Line play is mediocre at best, with stunts that don't function and blocking schemes that feel ineffective. Line adjustments also seem to have minimal impact.
- Stadium Pulse is wildly overpowered. There has never been a quarterback in real football who physically cannot throw to a receiver because of crowd noise. The decision to add the "?" icon for certain receivers in this mechanic shows a clear lack of real football understanding.
- Matchmaking lacks variety. I face the same six or seven teams every season: LSU, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, and Penn State. It’s hard to believe that no one else is using different teams—clearly, matchmaking is restricting team variety, likely to influence player retention.
- Tier selection feels broken. After grinding through mid-season games, I attempt to match with Tier 4 or 5 teams—yet I still get matched with top-tier programs. This appears to be an intentional design choice to keep players “grinding” longer. I wouldn’t be surprised if player retention metrics are directly tied to internal performance bonuses.
- Road to CFP matchmaking is inconsistent, repeatedly placing me (a Sophomore-level player) against All-American opponents. This undermines competitive fairness.
I encourage everyone playing this mode to document these issues—record your games, post on forums and social media, and call attention to what’s happening. Other modes clearly received far more development attention. In fact, College Football 25’s Road to CFP mode plays significantly better. I’ve reverted back to 25 while hoping EA delivers a much-needed update or patch for 26.
Good luck, see yall on back on College Football 25!!!
