Trinidad Chambliss says NCAA eligibility fight cost him shot at EA Sports video game cover

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss said in a court filing Thursday that the uncertainty surrounding his NCAA eligibility cost him a shot at being on the cover of EA Sports’ college football video game.

Chambliss said that as of last week, he was one of three finalists — “if not EA Sports’ favored player” — to appear on the front of the next version of the hit game. That changed Monday, the filing said, when he got a text message from the company saying it “just can’t stomach the risk” of Chambliss not suiting up for the Rebels this fall.

“In addition to the NIL compensation which Trinidad would have received for being featured on the cover, Trinidad would have enjoyed heightened notoriety and prestige since the cover shot is considered an honor in college football and in the gaming community,” said Thursday’s filing, which was made in the Chancery Court of Lafayette County, Miss. “Appearing on the cover would have created organic publicity for Trinidad, enhancing both his marketability and publicity rights. Being on the cover would have been personally meaningful to Trinidad, who could have shown his cover photo to potential employers and even his children and grandchildren.”

Photoshoots for the previous two covers of the game took place in early March. No announcements have been made on the game’s next cover.

Although a Mississippi judge granted Chambliss’ request for a sixth season of college eligibility last month, the NCAA has asked the state’s supreme court to review that ruling. The petition is pending.

Chambliss has asked the lower court to update his complaint after EA Sports’ decision, claiming that the video game company’s move was a product of the NCAA’s bad-faith actions and “continued opposition to Trinidad’s eligibility.” It does not attempt to project how much Chambliss could have made from being on the video game cover but seeks damages for lost NIL money plus damages to his brand and marketability.

Chambliss starred last season for the Rebels, helping them reach the College Football Playoff semifinals. He was granted another year of eligibility because of a medical issue he had during his time at Division II Ferris State; the NCAA opposed that decision because it was not documented by the school at the time. As one of the top returning players in the country, he previously argued that he stood to lose millions of dollars if he had to enter the NFL Draft instead of playing another year of college football.

EA Sports did not immediately respond to a request for comment.