April 16, 2012 – Today, EA SPORTS announced former Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders (RB, Oklahoma State University), has been selected by fans to join the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III (QB, Baylor University), on the cover of NCAA Football 13, which hits retail shelves on July 10. Sanders was selected by fans as part of the NCAA Football 13 My Heisman Cover Vote contest, which put the power into the hands of the fans to decide which college football legend would join Robert Griffin III on the cover of this year’s game.
The NCAA Football 13 My Heisman Cover Vote contest kicked off on March 12, with a competitive bracket-style tournament on the EA SPORTS NCAA Football Facebook page, pitting eight former Heisman Trophy winners in head-to-head matchups. During the three week-long tournament, fans had the power to choose which player would advance to the next round and get one step closer to gracing the cover alongside Robert Griffin III. Sanders pulled ahead of former University of Georgia running back Herschel Walker in the final round to earn the coveted honor of becoming the NCAA Football 13 cover athlete. Other former Heisman Trophy winners in contention included former University of Southern California running back Marcus Allen, former Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie, former Ohio State University running back Eddie George, former University of Michigan wide receiver Desmond Howard, former Florida State University quarterback Charlie Ward and former University of Houston quarterback Andre Ware.
NCAA Football 13 captures the rich tradition and pageantry of college football gameday. The first game details were released via the feature playbook on April 2, and additional details will be released leading up to the game launch on July 10.
· Sights and Sounds (released April 2): Featuring new team run-outs, mascots and pre-game traditions, along with significantly enhanced audio and new trophy presentations, NCAA Football 13 will deliver the passion and excitement of college football to fans nationwide.
· Gameplay (to be released April 17): With a new passing system that changes the way quarterbacks and receivers play and respond, combined with a new read and react defensive AI system, NCAA Football 13 delivers greater realism on the virtual gridiron.
· Dynasty (to be released May 7): Gamedays come to life with mid-game updates featuring a new studio analyst, plus enhanced commentary from NCAA Football veterans Kirk Herbstreit and Brad Nessler. Recruiting now goes deeper than ever with the addition of dynamic grades and the ability to scout players. Plus, there are even more ways to interact with your Dynasty from the web.
· Heisman Challenge (to be released May 30): There are familiar faces on the field in NCAA Football 13, which now features a selection of former Heisman Trophy winners. With the new Heisman Challenge mode, fans have the ability to utilize the skill set of a legendary Heisman Trophy winner in a quest to match his award-winning historical performances and win the Heisman Trophy once again.
· Road to Glory (to be released June 11): The experience of being a college football superstar is now even more exciting with a new feature in Road to Glory that allows players to see and feel the game differently during key moments, increasing on-field awareness and creating amazing opportunities.
Developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon, and licensed by The Collegiate Licensing Company, a division of IMG College, NCAA Football 13 will be available on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system on July 10. NCAA Football 13 is available for pre-order now. For more information about NCAA Football 13, please visit http://www.ea.com/ncaa-football.