WATCH: Arizona State coaches entice players into competing for early copies of EA Sports CFB 25

Arizona State Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham used the anticipation for the release of the new EA Sports College Football 25 game to push his players to new fitness heights during team practice. A clip posted by the team on Instagram showed the coach enticing his players into a playful competition of who would be the last man standing during a plank-holding session.

The players were excited about the prospect only to find out at the end that the cases for the winners contained discs of the Pluto movie.

Arizona State players' reaction to EA Sports CFB game shows popularity of franchise

The reactions of the Arizona State Sun Devils players to the news that they would get to win early releases of the much-anticipated EA Sports College Football 25 game shows the popularity of the franchise has not waned even among players.

The last release of the game was in 2013, with almost a whole generation of college football players not knowing what a new release with new designs feels like, and yet, the rabid reaction was much as expected.

During a brief, EA Sports game designer Ben Haumiller said that the franchise was concerned about the game's reception among players.

“We were trying to think ‘What’s the critical mass?'” Ben Haumiller said. “Like, what does this mean? When they sign up, who’s going to opt in, who’s not, and how is this all going to work out? There are concerns, right, you’re getting that clenching moment of like, ‘Is this going to work?’"

The game was discontinued in 2013 amid a standoff between student-athletes who sued the franchise for using their names, images and likenesses without compensation.

The dawn of the 2021 NIL regulations opened the door for the comeback of the popular game that has been in development since then, with better designs and game modes.

Not all student-athletes were happy with the compensation package offered by the franchise, including former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams. Some current players like Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning also opted out of the game, but the uptake as shown by the Arizona State players has been largely positive.

All players featured in the game will earn $600 and get a free copy of the game as compensation for allowing their NIL (Names, Images and Likenesses) to be used by the franchise.

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham will be thankful to the franchise for bringing out the best in his players.