Realistic NCAA Football Rosters Are Video-Game Gold

Game maker plans line of products to get couch potatoes into shape

(NEWSER) - Electronic Arts has become the latest game maker to target the Wii-as-personal-trainer market, USA Today reports. EA Sports Active, developed with experts including Oprah Winfrey's trainer, hits the shelves in March and aims to help users lose weight through more than 20 exercises that work the upper and lower body and boost cardio fitness. Nintendo remains the industry leader, selling 2.3 million versions of Wii Fit. More»

League claims 20M fans south of border, but path to pro ranks is a tough one

(NEWSER) - Mexico isn’t known for loving football—the pigskin kind—but the sport is gaining popularity there, the Los Angeles Times reports. The NFL estimates it has 20 million Mexican fans, and with the game catching on at the high school and college level, players are pushing for more attention from the American league, where just five Mexicans are on practice squads. More»

(NEWSER) - With the clock ticking down to the midnight release of the 2009 edition of EA Sports’ mega-popular "Madden NFL" video game, millions of eager gamers are excited to dig in—but not as excited as the manufacturer, which has made $2.4 billion from the franchise since 1995. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on the anticipation on both sides. More»

Programs with poor graduation rates face sanctions

(NEWSER) - The NCAA has handed out sanctions to more than 200 college teams for poor academic performance, USA Today reports. More than a third of the 329 Division I schools had teams with subpar Academic Progress Rates, which means their players' graduation rate was lower than 60%. Twenty-six teams deemed chronic underperformers still face reductions in practice time and scholarship awards. More»

Format to remain until at least 2014 season

(NEWSER) - Even a three-game playoff was too much for the BCS. Bowl Championship Series officials rejected a plan Wednesday to turn the much-criticized system for deciding a national champ into a playoff involving four teams, starting in the 2010 season. The BCS format will remain the same until at least the 2014 season. More»