There has not been a college basketball video game for fans since 2009. After 2K cancelled their College Hoops franchise (the greatest college basketball game of all time was College Hoops 2K8), EA Sports soldiered on until NCAA Basketball 10.
When NBA 2K16 arrived, fans were given hope as eight college basketball teams were featured in the MyCareer story mode. When the college teams were announced, rumors suggested we may be closer to a full-fledged college basketball game.
Finally, 2K released an All-Time College Team DLC for NBA 2K17 to use in quick game mode. The new DLC delivers legendary All-Star teams selected from the rich basketball history of 10 great schools. The bundle is $14.99, but if you only want one team, then it will cost $1.99 each. The 10 teams include:
- Arizona
- Connecticut
- Georgetown
- Louisville
- Illinois
- Georgia Tech
- Wake Forest
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Michigan State
2K is serious about All-Time College teams – the heavyweight rosters includes the likes of Allen Iverson, Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Blake Griffin, Tim Duncan and more. The matchups you can play with these teams are epic as you can play as Georgetown and dominate the middle or go with Georgia Tech and use their exceptional roster of guards.
EA ended its college sports titles (NCAA Basketball and NCAA Football) in 2013 following the Ed O’Bannon Lawsuit, which was brought on in 2009. O'Bannon, a former UCLA basketball player, stated that himself and other players over the years had their rights violated as their likeness were used in video games and other NCAA vehicles without compensation. Ultimately, EA and the Collegiate Licensing Company agreed to pay $40 million to 100,000 current and former college athletes that appeared in the NCAA video games.
What makes the settlement of the O’Bannon case and the release of this DLC for NBA 2K17 so big are the ramifications that it could have. In August, EA Chief Competition Officer Peter Moore said in an interview with IGN that he believes, "One day, I know we'll be back,” referring to a possible return of EA’s College Football franchise. The DLC is a tiny step towards a full-fledged college game being released in the near future from either EA or 2K.
PS4 players can download the NBA 2k17 All-College Team DLC via the PlayStation Store. Xbox users can go to Xbox Marketplace .
What are your thoughts about the DLC? Let us know in comment section.
