Reaction to Curt Cignetti on the cover of the EA Sports College Football video game cover

No individual coach had been on the EA Sports college football video game cover since the 1990s, but taking a team from perennial struggles to a national championship in two years brings the highest recognition.

Indiana football's Curt Cignetti, the consensus national coach of the year in consecutive seasons, is front and center on this year's Deluxe Edition cover, with IU's Memorial Stadium in the background. Several players, helmets, and the mascots from Western Kentucky, LSU and Arizona State join Cignetti.

Bill Walsh, the Super Bowl champion coach of the San Francisco 49ers and former Stanford coach, attached his name to the game in its first two years, 1994 and '95. Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier became the first player on the cover in 1997.

Groups of coaches have been on the Deluxe Edition cover in recent years.

The CFB27 Deluxe Edition cover pic.twitter.com/9oNE78ySbL

— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) May 30, 2026

Reaction to EA Sports College Football 27 cover

As you might expect, Hoosiers fans are love it and some others … not so much.

Curt framemogging the entire sport https://t.co/nT4ZczP5gj

— CrimsonCast (@CrimsonCast) May 30, 2026

Curt Cignetti on the College Football 27 cover with Indiana’s Memorial Stadium as the backdrop.

What a world we live in. #iufbhttps://t.co/RaF8R0HAkh

— Jared Kelly (@Jared_Kelly7) May 30, 2026

What do we think of the Cover of EA college football 2027?

I think this looks awful 😭😭💀 pic.twitter.com/1QbJqWuGwD

— CFBTalkDaily (@CFBTalkDaily) May 30, 2026

Looks like a 2000s straight to DVD comedy. https://t.co/VODNOm38wBpic.twitter.com/WfW16URY3d

— Chuck Bass (@ChuckFBass) May 30, 2026

Looks like the cover for a Disney Channel original 😭😭 https://t.co/Iv6Toahghd

— Kyle Whittinghog (@goblue_guru) May 30, 2026

We have a better one https://t.co/A3wnO6Q2CSpic.twitter.com/qTgfTjGpOW

— Bison Overtime (@Bison_Overtime) May 31, 2026

Looks awful. This looks better imo. https://t.co/51sNOQnIgTpic.twitter.com/dWY4xTNPyU

— Andrew Caraway (@Caraway6) May 31, 2026

Players on the EA Sports College Football 27 cover

• Dante Moore, Oregon
• Malachi Toney, Miami
• Jayden Maiava, USC
• Kewan Lacy, Mississippi
• Colin Simmons, Texas
• Leonard Moore, Notre Dame

EA Sports College Football covers

• 1994: Former coach Bill Walsh
• 1995: Former coach Bill Walsh
• 1996: No specific players, but depictions of players, a mascot and a band
• 1997: Tommie Frazier, Nebraska
• 1998: Danny Wuerffel, Florida
• 1999: Charles Woodson, Michigan
• 2000: Ricky Williams, Texas
• 2001: Shaun Alexander, Alabama
• 2002: Chries Weinke, Florida State
• 2003: Joey Harrington, Oregon
• 2004: Carson Palmer, USC
• 2005: Larry Fitzgerald, Pitt
• 2006: Desmond Howard, Michigan
• 2007: Reggie Bush, USC
• 2008: Jared Zabransky, Boise State
• 2009: DeSean Jackson, Cal (PS2); Matt Ryan, Boston College (PS3); Owen Schmitt, West Virginia (PSP); Darren McFadden, Arkansas (Xbox 360)
• 2010: Brian Orakpo, Texas (PS2); Brian Johnson, Utah (PS3); Mark Sanchez (PSP); Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech (Xbox 360)
• 2011: Tim Tebow, Florida
• 2012: Mark Ingram, Alabama; Nick Fairley, Auburn; DeMarco Murry, Oklahoma; Jake Locker, Washington
• 2013: Robert Griffin III, Baylor; Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State
• 2014: Denard Robinson, Michigan
• 2015-24: Litigation of players' name, image and likeness rights kept them off the cover
• 2025: Quinn Ewers, Texas; Travis Hunter, Colorado; Donovan Edwards, Michigan
• 2026: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State; Ryan Williams, Alabama

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti on EA Sports cover