2K Sports Plans Standalone College Basketball Game

2K Sports wants its own college basketball game after all. According to a new report from the Sports Business Journal, 2K is making plans to develop a standalone basketball game.

Jason Wilson reports that 2K Sports “plans on a standalone game” that would feature “more than 100 men’s and women’s teams that would all receive ‘fair market value’ as well for their NIL”.

This new report comes after 2K and Take-Two Interactive’s proposal regarding having college basketball as DLC in its NBA 2K games was discovered. The original proposal to the College Licensing Company (CLC) called for teams within the mode, increasing in number year-over-year. It also mentioned a full college game depending on sales performance of said DLC.

The CLC ultimately recommended EA’s exclusive license proposal to conferences and schools for a game, with EA announcing its return to college basketball on June 30.

According to Matt Brown of Extra Points, however, 2K had contacted schools directly to delay that recommendation approval as they work on another proposal for a game. It could be assumed that Wilson’s report of “more than 100 men’s and women’s teams” for a game is part of that new proposal.

2K Sports, according to those I’ve spoken with on the matter, believes it can turn around a game quicker than EA due to its already-built engine. It would allow for a game to be released by, at the earliest, 2027, depending on the scope. It has to be stressed, however, that it doesn’t mean, should they get licensing, a game would come by 2027. It’s more along the lines of they could if they wanted to.

The recommended EA proposal calls for games starting in 2028.