How Fans Can Support Colorado Buffaloes By Playing EA Sports College Football '26

EA Sports is giving Colorado Buffaloes fans a fun new way to give back to the football program—not through donations or ticket sales, but by choosing the Buffs every time they fire up College Football '26.

A new revenue-sharing model, first reported by Matt Liberman of Cllct, allows schools to earn royalties based on how frequently they’re selected in the game.

Put simply: every time fans play as the Buffs, the university gets a financial kickback.

The system is part of a broader change in how EA Sports handles compensation for both teams and players.

According to documents obtained by Cllct via the Freedom of Information Act, schools will now receive a slice of a shared payout pool—directly proportional to how often their teams are used in-game.

It's a huge shift from how things worked in the past.

Previously, EA grouped programs into four payout tiers based on real-world performance, with schools such as Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State in Tier 1 earning nearly $100,000, while those in the bottom tier earned as little as $10,000.

Colorado, placed in Tier 3, earned just under $40,000.

Now, with the tier system gone, every school’s payout will be different—calculated solely by how often fans pick their team in College Football '26.

For Colorado, that should come as good news.

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With Colorado coach Deion Sanders keeping the Buffs in the national spotlight—and a loyal fan base that shows up on game day and online—this new model allows fans to turn engagement into real support.

It’s the kind of system that might have paid off even more last year, when two-way star cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter was one of the most popular players in the game, even landing on the cover of College Football '25.

With Hunter now in the NFL and flipping into Madden 26, future young Buffs like Julian “JuJu” Lewis, Omarion Miller, and Jordan Seaton could benefit from a similar surge in visibility produced by "Coach Prime."

Player compensation has also evolved.

In last year’s edition of College Football, athletes who opted in received $600 and a free copy of the game.

This year, the payout is notably higher.

Multiple sources have confirmed that players are now being offered up to $3,000 through a combination of licensing agreements, with Pathway Sports & Entertainment and EA Sports each offering $1,500.

That figure isn’t tied to how often players are used—but the team’s overall popularity still matters.

A school earning more royalties through in-game activity can redirect those funds toward facilities, staff, and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) efforts to help keep top talent in Boulder.

So, if you’re planning to buy College Football '26, don’t just pick Colorado because you’re a fan. Pick them because it matters.