WATCH: Travis Hunter entertains at EA Sports College Football 25 launch party

The long-awaited “EA Sports College Football 25” video game was released this week to millions of eager gamers, marking the return of the beloved series after a decade-long hiatus. Gracing the cover of this highly anticipated release is none other than Travis Hunter, the versatile two-way player from the Colorado Buffaloes. Despite a challenging 4-8 season under Coach Deion Sanders, Colorado football remains one of the sport’s most popular and talked-about teams.

The Buffs standout shared in the excitement during a release party at Buffalo Wild Wing outside of Boulder on Saturday afternoon. A few lucky fans lined up to play Hunter, but none of them walked away with a win. The cover feature highlights the broader significance for the team on a national level. It’s been 11 years since any version of the wildly-popular video game came out and a majority of the team is “In the game,” as EA Sports developers would say.

Hundreds of fans stopped by to see Hunter, including many kids, participated in this unique event, offering autographs and engaging with his supporters. Some even got their hands on ‘Saucy-T’s’ new “I’M HIM” merch from Rock ‘Em.

The release marks the first time collegiate athletes are compensated for their image and likeness in an officially licensed video game. The series was halted in 2013 due to a lawsuit, making this return highly anticipated. In its first 24 hours, the game saw an astounding 2.4 million players log in. Participating athletes received $600 and a copy of the game for their involvement as playable characters. Hunter’s deal to be on the cover was on a different scale than others.

Under Sanders’ leadership, Colorado football continues to attract national attention, and this latest event is a testament to their growing hype. However, Hunter is slowly breaking away and developing his own brand before his final collegiate season.

Colorado is set to kick off the 2024 season against FCS powerhouse North Dakota State on Thursday, August 29 at Folsom Field.