Resurrection of the Dynasty

February 3, 2021

By: Jeff Yoder

Good Morning,

Yesterday was a monumental day for any football fan. A piece of childhood nostalgia has been resurrected from the grave. All it took was one tweet: “For those who never stopped believing…”

Dynasty Mode, here we come.

Letter Rip!

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NCAAF

EA Sports is Bringing Back College Football

The Popular Video Game Announces Return After 8 Years Off the Shelves

And sports fans everywhere rejoiced! The ever-popular EA Sports College Football video game is making a comeback after eight years off the shelves, and it’s doing so without the approval (or name) of the NCAA. Electronic Arts (EA) announced the news with a simple tweet: “For those who never stopped believing…” The internet went crazy, understandably so, and people everywhere dusted off their old game consoles.

“We’ve heard from the millions of passionate fans requesting the return of college football video games. We love the energy, tradition and pageantry of college football and I am beyond thrilled to say we are back in development.” — EA Sports EVP Cam Weber

What It Means for the NCAA

More pressure. Not only have countless lawsuits started to stack, but Congress and state legislatures are taking NIL (name, image or likeness) matters into their own hands. Several lawmakers have already discussed introducing new legislature to allow student-athletes to profit from their NIL through the game. EA Sports will partner with collegiate licensing company CLC for school rights to recreate the series loved by football fans everywhere.

Sadly, the game won’t launch this year, but it’s coming soon. And it’s one of the many moves inching the NCAA towards its new undeniable future.

Additional Storylines

FOX Sports: Who Should Be On New Cover of EA Sports College Football?

ESPN: Everything You Need to Know About the Return of EA Sports College Football

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NBA

Heat-Check: VanVleet’s Raptors Record

Raptors Guard Fred VanVleet Erupts for 54 Points & 11 3-Pointers in Historic Night

The Toronto Raptors signed Fred VanVleet to a 4-year, $85 million contract in the offseason. It was one of the largest contracts for an undrafted player in NBA history, and VanVleet was worth it. The 26-year-old went off for a career-high 54 points in a win over the Magic (123-108) last night. He buried 11 3-pointers (17-for-23 shooting) in one of the biggest heat-check games of all-time, and he made loads of history in the process.

VanVleet’s Record-Breaking Night

– Most Points in Franchise History (54)

– Most 3s in Franchise History (11)

– Most Points by an Undrafted Player Since 1966

– Only Undrafted Player to Hold a Franchise Scoring Record

– 1st Guard With 50 Points, 3 Blocks & 3 Steals Since Michael Jordan (1987)

Watch: Fred VanVleet’s 54-Point Night

Other NBA Highlights

Irving’s 39 Propels Nets: The Nets’ Big 3 of Kyrie Irving (39 points), Kevin Durant (28 points) and James Harden (23 points) combined for 90 in Brooklyn’s 124-120 win over the Clippers Tuesday night.

Celtics Stave Off Steph: The Celtics survived a late push by the Warriors and Steph Curry (38 pts, 11 rebs, 8 asts) to win for just the third time in eight games (111-107).

Pacers End Grizzlies’ Streak: Indiana handed Memphis an 18-point loss (134-116) that ended their league-best seven-game win streak. Damontas Sabonis led the way for the Pacers (32-13-5)

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NCAAB

NCAA Scoreboard: Baylor Stays Perfect

#2 Baylor Knocks Off #6 Texas (83-69) to Remain Undefeated (17-0)

A busy night around the country in college basketball came down to a Top-10 battle with an undefeated season on the line, and Baylor delivered. The 2nd-ranked Bears trailed just once, briefly, in Tuesday’s showdown with No. 6 Texas. Davion Mitchell (27 points) and Jared Butler (21 points) combined for 48 on the night as Baylor won (83-69) and improved to 17-0. They have five games against ranked opponents in their remaining eight contests, but none bigger than last night’s potential roadblock.

Watch: Baylor Stays Unbeaten Against Texas

NCAA Scoreboard

– #8 Iowa def. Michigan State (84-78)

– #12 Illinois def. Indiana (75-71, OT)

– Ole Miss def. #11 Tennessee (52-50)

– #17 W. Virginia def. Iowa State (76-72)

– #19 Wisconsin def. Penn State (72-56)

– #23 Kansas def. Kansas State (74-51)

– Maryland def. #24 Purdue (61-60)

Additional Storylines

ESPN: The Varying States of Bracketology (Updated)

OddsShark: Gonzaga Remains Big Favorite to Win 2021 Title

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NCAAF

The Top-Class Tide

National Signing Day: Alabama Set to Make History With Best Recruiting Class Ever

Deja vu? Yes, it’s National Signing Day 2.0 — the traditional moment when college football recruits ink those letters of intent — and Alabama is about make history. The Crimson Tide are prepared to formalize the No. 1 class for the eighth time in the last 10 years, but this year’s group of incoming ‘Bama players has an all-time best 325.95 points in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. The class includes 14 of the top 100 players in the nation, and half of those 14 recruits are five-star prospects.

Top Projected Recruiting Classes

– 1. Alabama (325.96)

– 2. Ohio State (309.49)

– 3. Georgia (294.55)

– 4. LSU (291.37)

– 5. Clemson (291.20)

– 6. Oregon (283.83)

– 7. Texas A&M (278.21)

– 8. USC (273.21)

– 9. Notre Dame (269.15)

– 10. Oklahoma (267.92)

Data from 247Sports Composite Rankings

Additional Storylines

B/R: National Signing Day 2021 Announcement Schedule, Predictions, & More

ESPN : What to Watch for During College Football’s February National Signing Day

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