EA Sports College Football is back with another edition, and this time you don’t have to wait 11 years in between releases.
Of course, Dynasty mode is one of the first gameplay modes players will flock to. As you prepare to embark on a new year with the game, The Athletic is here to help you evaluate which path may be the best to take.
As with a lot in life, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You might want to take the most difficult path. You might enjoy a fixer-upper. You might want to start from the ground up, or you might want something more established that’s running smoothly.
Whatever it may be, we have options for you.
Building from the ground up
- Delaware, Conference USA
- Kennesaw State, Conference USA
- Missouri State, Conference USA
Two programs are making the jump to FBS this season: Missouri State and Delaware. Both will play in Conference USA this fall and are one-star programs in the game.
Delaware has won at least eight games in each of the past three seasons, and its most recent FCS playoffs appearance came in 2023. Missouri State hasn’t reached the FCS playoffs since 2021 but won eight games last season after posting back-to-back losing seasons in 2022 and 2023.
With a few exceptions, making the jump to FBS is difficult, so be prepared and have some patience if you decide to coach at these programs.
Kennesaw State is in Year 2 of its transition to FBS. It went 2-10 last year and would be a good choice this year.
Buyer beware
- Akron, MAC
- Kent State, MAC
- Rice, American
Time and history have demonstrated that these are incredibly difficult places to win at. Akron and Kent State are zero-star prestige programs in the game. The Zips have had two winning seasons in the past 20 years and haven’t won more than four games in a season since 2017. The Golden Flashes are coming off an 0-12 season that followed a 1-11 campaign in 2023.
Rice checks in as a one-star program. The Owls have appeared in bowl games in two of the past three seasons but haven’t posted a winning record since 2014. This will be their third year in the AAC.
One of the best sources of pride this game has to offer is turning around programs like these. So this journey is gratifying — if you can stomach some of the growing pains.
Revive a downtrodden program
- Louisiana Tech, Conference USA
- Purdue, Big Ten
- Stanford, ACC
- Virginia, ACC
Purdue is quite the rebuild after going 1-11 last season and losing the talented players it did have to the transfer portal. The Boilermakers have posted three winning seasons in the past 10 years. Meanwhile, Virginia has posted just three winning seasons since 2010. It has fallen on hard times of late, with only 11 victories over the past three years.
At least these programs are in conferences they’re deeply familiar with. Stanford has no natural ties to the ACC, and life is a lot harder now for the prestigious academic institution because of name, image and likeness, revenue sharing and the transfer portal. The Cardinal have won three games in each of the last four seasons.
These three programs have had some fun highs in the past but are now all two-star prestige programs, like San Diego State and San Jose State.
Louisiana Tech has had some good moments in the past under Skip Holtz and Sonny Dykes but has struggled this decade. It hasn’t won more than five games in a season since 2019. It’s a one-star program in the game.
Though all of these programs are going through hard times, they’ve shown they can win at a pretty good level with the right coach in place. That could be you if you go this route.
Make the job work for you
- James Madison, Sun Belt
- UNLV, Mountain West
- Washington State, Pac-12
If you’re looking for a job that will get you the next job, these places might be good to go to. James Madison has a solid roster and is primed for a strong 2025, which (in theory) should make you popular in the coaching carousel.
UNLV is in a similar position in the Mountain West, and Washington State has had several coaches who have been hired away this century.
Curt Cignetti (JMU to Indiana), Barry Odom (UNLV to Purdue) and Jake Dickert (Washington State to Wake Forest) have all made this work in real life. Can you do it in the game?
Attach yourself to a coach with upward mobility
Real-life coaches are now in the game, and you can play as them. This could be an alternative to choosing a program based on upward mobility.
Jon Sumrall has had an impressive start to his head coaching career at Troy and Tulane and should be an attractive candidate for P4 openings. Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham has been a head coach for only two seasons but took the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff last season. He’ll be desirable for SEC and Big Ten programs.
Bob Chesney has been successful everywhere he has coached and just won nine games in his first season at James Madison. Could he make a climb like Cignetti did?
Jeff Monken might not be as young as some of these other coaches but has done well at Army and has been in the mix for other jobs in the past.
Or you could choose a high-profile name like Eddie George, the head coach at Bowling Green, and see where that road ends up.
Struggling with new surroundings
- Cincinnati, Big 12
- Kentucky, SEC
- West Virginia, Big 12
- Wisconsin, Big Ten
Cincinnati, Kentucky and Wisconsin have had a tougher go at things because of realignment. The Bearcats have posted back-to-back losing seasons since joining the Big 12, though that might be more of a Scott Satterfield issue than a realignment one.
Adding more strong programs to their conferences and getting rid of divisions did Kentucky and Wisconsin no favors.
We know — West Virginia’s surroundings aren’t new, but it still feels out of sorts in the Big 12. It’s trying to find its identity and has looked back to its glory days and hired Rich Rodriguez, the coach who spearheaded those, to help re-establish it.
These programs have all been very, very good in the past. Maybe you can get them back there.
Break through the ceiling
- Ole Miss, SEC
- Oregon, Big Ten
- Texas A&M, SEC
Oregon has played for the national championship twice since 2010 and was the No. 1 seed in last year’s playoffs before Ohio State blew it out in the Rose Bowl. It’s had teams good enough to be in the mix for a national championship but hasn’t broken through.
Ole Miss has elevated itself under Lane Kiffin, but it went all in on last season and came up empty. The Rebels are still searching for their first playoff trip.
Texas A&M has all the resources but has produced just two double-digit win campaigns in the past 30 years and has witnessed Texas join the SEC and establish itself as a power immediately.
These programs have had strong moments on the field and receive a lot of attention in the offseason but still haven’t been able to reach the heights they aspire to. You could choose them and get one over the hump.
The juggernauts
- Alabama, SEC
- Georgia, SEC
- Ohio State, Big Ten
We highlighted these same three programs in the same three spots last year, and not much has changed. Ohio State just won the national championship. Georgia won the SEC. There’s a little more doubt about Alabama because it’s coming off a 9-4 season, but it’s still a strong program.
This is the easiest path available, and it’s not super rewarding, but if you’re not into rebuilding and want to win at the highest levels, these are the schools for you.
(Screenshots of College Football 26 courtesy of EA Sports)
