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Opinion byMike McFeely
July 10, 2026 at 1:08 PM
Even video games cannot escape controversy, which seems odd to a near-sexagenarian to whom these black holes of time mean nothing. I’ve always been partial to actually doing things as opposed to pretending I’m doing them, so aside from some Asteroids and Pac-Man at the bowling alley in Alexandria, Minnesota, in the very early 1980s video games have never been a thing for me
But it’s true. There is controversy over the recent release of EA Sports’ College Football 27 game that’s been getting some buzz around here because it includes North Dakota State, which finally got invited to the video game party because the Bison are now a member of the FBS. The youngs are excited, the Bison players are excited and the school’s administration is excited because the athletic department can make a few bucks from EA based on how many people play the game as NDSU
The rub is this: While the game’s base price is $70, EA charged extra for some bells and whistles. These are called “microtransactions,” and if gamers want to play CFB 27 and more easily progress through popular “Dynasty” mode or “Ultimate Team” mode, they have to spend additional money. It is obviously a money grab by EA Sports (which is now owned by a combination of the Saudis and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, another controversy)
Backlash to the microtransactions was immediate when the game was released Thursday, July 9. Gamer websites trashed the move and some athletes, most notably Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, informed EA Sports to pull their likeness out of the game until the microtransactions are removed
Yes, boss, I’m sitting in my recliner at 9:30 in the morning playing a video game. It’s called research. Column coming. Also, if any local college or high school is looking for an offensive consultant, my resume is posted below. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/mP2DaeeoMF
— Mike McFeely (@McFeely_Inforum) July 10, 2026
For a near-sexagenarian who’s entered the Skecher Slip-In stage of life — those things are awesome — it didn’t register. I didn’t care. (And don’t say, “OK, Boomer.” I’m a Gen Xer.) I’m in it for fun. And a cheap column
I had our daughter pick up a disc copy of the game for me and asked (ordered?) her to bring her PlayStation console from her apartment to our house. She gave me a quick lesson, played a couple of exhibition games herself to show me how things worked and left me to my own devices
True story alert
The first time I tried to play, me playing as the Bison against Wyoming, Jackson Williams caught the opening kickoff and ran backwards into the end zone for a safety. All the NDSU players I was trying to control were running backwards, sideways, helter-skelter. Frustrated, I shut off the game. It took a few minutes to dawn on me that I was holding the controller backwards, so pushing the joystick forward made the players go the opposite direction
Once that snafu got ironed out, the game was a hoot
I’m literally 50 years behind the times in video games – they’re just not my thing – but this stuff is pretty impressive. pic.twitter.com/eD7nO6K7gW
— Mike McFeely (@McFeely_Inforum) July 10, 2026
All the NDSU players you see on Saturdays are there. Nathan Hayes at quarterback, DJ Scott at running back, Reis Kessel at tight end, Williams at receiver, Griffin Empey at guard, Matthew Stenbroten and Kelton McCaslin at defensive end, Donovan Woolen at linebacker
Observation from a few games I played in exhibition mode: If Real Matthew Stenbroten plays as well as Video Game Matthew Stenbroten, he’s making the all-Mountain West Conference team. Ditto DJ Scott
The Fargodome, as forewarned by NDSU folks, isn’t exactly like the real thing but it’s close. It is called “North Dakota State Stadium” instead of the Fargodome, which hopefully can be fixed in the future. But all the music you’re used to hearing in the dome is there, including the pre-kickoff songs and the school fight song
I ask this earnestly because I don’t know … are these good graphics or is this the way things have been for years? Because they seem kind of good to me. pic.twitter.com/I7UYVVl2B5
— Mike McFeely (@McFeely_Inforum) July 10, 2026
There are cheerleaders, fans, referees and the voices of Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer and David Pollack are calling the game. There’s an alleged likeness of Bison head coach Tim Polasek, which doesn’t look much like the real Tim Polasek
As for the gameplay, it seemed danged good in the simple exhibition mode in which I was playing. Select an offensive play or defensive call and go. Controlling the running backs and receivers with the joystick is fun and picking out a receiver for Hayes and having him sling the ball downfield is cool
I’m obviously scratching 1% or less of the game’s surface with my non-experience as a gamer. The people who know what they’re doing — and those willing to pay extra for more modes — can dive deeply into building rosters, play-calling, NIL and dozens of other details
Matt Zimmer of Sioux Falls Live played the game and said in a column
he brought the Bison on the road to the Big House in Michigan and played a game there against the Wolverines
For those who know what they’re doing, the buffet seems endless
For me, it’s just a silly distraction for a few minutes and nothing in which I’d be interested if the local team wasn’t included
When I was relentlessly pushing for six years to have the Bison move up to the FBS, having them included in a video game wasn’t a motivation. Now that they’re there, I’ll admit, it’s a pretty cool bonus
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Opinion by
Mike McFeely
Mike McFeely is a columnist for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. He began working for The Forum in the 1980s while he was a student studying journalism at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He’s been with The Forum full time since 1990, minus a six-year hiatus when he hosted a local radio talk-show.
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