At Oregon football’s 2024 media day, Ducks head coach Dan Lanning was asked what it would take to get the then-third year head coach into EA Sports’ College Football 25. His answer was simple.

“Just ask,” Lanning said, describing himself as “not a gamer” but admitted to purchasing the game for his three children.

At the time, EA Sports’ 2024 smash-hit ended a decade-long drought of college football video games. The previous installment, entitled “NCAA 14”, had been released in the summer of 2013 before court litigation regarding the use of players’ name, image and likeness ceased development of further titles. With the rise of NIL, the game developer brought the title back, compensating players with a free copy of the game and a $600 check for use of their likenesses (it has since been increased to $1,500). The new game, however, lacked real-life coaches.

It appears that EA Sports took Lanning up on his offer to be in the game. The Ducks’ head coach, as well as Oregon’s mascot, are slated to be featured on the cover of College Football 26’s Deluxe Edition, which was unveiled on social media Tuesday, May 27.

The cover features star wide receivers Ryan Williams of Alabama and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith as the headliners as well as several other college football icons. Alongside legends like Florida’s Tim Tebow and USC’s Reggie Bush, Lanning was one of seven head coaches to be featured on the cover. He joined Penn State’s James Franklin, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham on the Deluxe Edition’s front.

Dillingham, the former Oregon offensive coordinator who departed for the job with the Sun Devils, also had one of his star players featured.

Former West Linn High School star Sam Leavitt also appeared on the cover of the Deluxe Edition. Leavitt, who was rated a four-star prospect in the class of 2023, transferred from Michigan State to Arizona State after redshirting for the Spartans in 2023.

Leavitt helped lead the Sun Devils to their first-ever College Football Playoff berth a season ago, falling to Texas in double overtime in the Peach Bowl. The then-redshirt freshman passed for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns with the Sun Devils in 2024, completing 61% of his passes and throwing just six interceptions. Leavitt has the 12th-best betting odds in the nation to win the 2025 Heisman, leading all Big 12 Conference players.

EA Sports’ College Football 26 will be released July 10 for $70. The $100 Deluxe Edition featuring Lanning, The Duck and Leavitt will release three days earlier on July 7.