EA Sports has released more details on the competitive aspects of College Football 26, such as Ultimate Team and Road to the College Football Playoffs modes.
Ultimate Team mode will feature all-new card art in the upcoming iteration with more freedom given to artists to create unique designs. Card legibility, too, has been improved. EA wants to focus more on limited-time events in this year's game, offering thematic challenges that connect to current events of college football.
Another change comes in the form of Solo Battles being replaced by Study Hall as the primary single-player mode of Ultimate Team. Every week, Study Hall offers a series of 12 games that gradually become more difficult. The better players fare in these challenges, the better their rewards will be.
Sets are undergoing a shift in focus as well, becoming more collection-based. There will be fewer sets per program, but the rewards for completing them are being improved. Selling surplus items will also be more worthwhile, as the Training Store will contain more program-based cards in CFB 26.
The popular Road to the College Football Playoffs mode grows: It'll feature twelve instead of ten games per season in CFB 26. Although all wins yield valuable ranking points, triumphing outside of one's homefield rakes in the additional score -- especially against a stronger team. There's more information on the opposing team as well, allowing players to formulate a strategy before things kick off. Every season, the twelve best teams of a division make it into the playoffs.
As a first taste for rating enjoyers, EA Sports has also released the 25 top-rated teams in CFB 26 overall as well as ranked by offense and defense.
Here are the best teams in CFB 26 based on OVR:
1. Alabama Crimson Tide | 89
2. Texas Longhorns | 88
3. Ohio State Buckeyes | 88
4. Penn State Nittany Lions | 88
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 88
6. Georgia Bulldogs | 88
7. Clemson Tigers | 88
8. Texas A&M Aggies | 88
9. Oregon Ducks | 86
10. LSU Tigers | 86
11. Miami Hurricanes | 86
12. Florida Gators | 86
13. Texas Tech Red Raiders | 86
14. Arizona State Sun Devils | 85
15. Michigan Wolverines | 85
16. Ole Miss Rebels | 85
17. Oklahoma Sooners | 85
18. Indiana Hoosiers | 85
19. SMU Mustangs | 84
20. Tennessee Volunteers | 84
21. Missouri Tigers | 84
22. Auburn Tigers | 84
23. Duke Blue Devils | 84
24. South Carolina Gamecocks | 82
25. Illinois Fighting Illini | 82
The Longhorns may only be second in terms of OVR, but claim the top spot when it comes to offense:
1. Texas Longhorns | 91
2. Penn State Nittany Lions | 91
3. Ohio State Buckeyes | 91
4. Arizona State Sun Devils | 91
5. Clemson Tigers | 89
6. LSU Tigers | 89
7. Alabama Crimson Tide | 89
8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 89
9. Florida Gators | 89
10. Miami Hurricanes | 89
11. Indiana Hoosiers | 89
12. Texas A&M Aggies | 89
13. Georgia Bulldogs | 87
14. Oklahoma Sooners | 87
15. SMU Mustangs | 87
16. BYU Cougars | 87
17. Baylor Bears | 87
18. Texas Tech Red Raiders | 87
19. Oregon Ducks | 85
20. Ole Miss Rebels | 85
21. USC Trojans | 85
22. Boise State Broncos | 85
23. Iowa State Cyclones | 85
24. Nebraska Cornhuskers | 85
25. South Carolina Gamecocks | 85
Alabama strikes back in the defensive rankings, however:
1. Alabama Crimson Tide | 96
2. Texas Longhorns | 94
3. Penn State Nittany Lions | 94
4. Georgia Bulldogs | 92
5. Ohio State Buckeyes | 92
6. Michigan Wolverines | 92
7. Oregon Ducks | 92
8. LSU Tigers | 92
9. Texas Tech Red Raiders | 92
10. Clemson Tigers | 90
11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 90
12. Texas A&M Aggies | 90
13. Tennessee Volunteers | 88
14. Indiana Hoosiers | 88
15. Miami Hurricanes | 88
16. Duke Blue Devils | 88
17. Oklahoma Sooners | 88
18. Illinois Fighting Illini | 86
19. Kansas State Wildcats | 86
20. Ole Miss Rebels | 86
21. Pittsburgh Panthers | 86
22. South Carolina Gamecocks | 84
23. Arizona State Sun Devils | 84
24. Iowa Hawkeyes | 84
25. Florida Gators | 84