With the 2025 NCAA Division I College Baseball regular season starting on February 14, MLB The Show 25 will have a feature that you can play with several programs including using the BBCOR metal bats that are now regulation in college throughout separate institutions and conferences across the Division I,II, and III levels, NAIA, and Junior Colleges from all 50 states.
MLB The Show 25 will have metal bats AND college teams 🤯
(via @MLBTheShow)pic.twitter.com/P7CWWbrerc
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) February 4, 2025
The eight NCAA Division I College Baseball programs that are featured in MLB The Show 25 are the Tennessee Volunteers, the LSU Tigers, the UCLA Bruins, the Texas Longhorns, the TCU Horned Frogs, the Cal State Fullerton Titans, the Vanderbilt Commodores, and the South Carolina Gamecocks.Â
MLB’s official X page showcased the graphics for NCAA Division I programs in MLB The Show 25.
JUST IN: College teams and metal bats are in @MLBTheShow 25 🤯
For the first time in the game's history, players can start their baseball journey at the high school level and continue their Road to The Show career at select colleges pic.twitter.com/giv97Q6pEL
— MLB (@MLB) February 4, 2025
This marks the first time in franchise history that MLB The Show will feature NCAA Division I college baseball programs in the game.
MLB The Show 25 was released for pre-order on February 4 and will officially launch on March 18, just ahead of the 2025 MLB regular season.
The cover of MLB The Show 25 features Paul Skenes, Gunnar Henderson, and Elly De La Cruz.
The MLB The Show franchise has been a staple in baseball gaming for 20 years.
According to its official website, MLB The Show 25 is expanding gameplay with new features, including fan-favorite modes like Road to The Show and an all-new Diamond Dynasty mode called Diamond Quest.
The game has evolved.
Forge all-new journeys in Road To The Show, Franchise, and much more, powered by ShowTech™.The evolution is real. Pre-order at https://t.co/wAEusKNL9J
Available on March 18#MLBTheShow pic.twitter.com/bCghKUTLoM— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) February 4, 2025
Additionally, MLB The Show 25 will continue its Storylines feature with The Negro Leagues Season 3, highlighting new historical content within the game. More details can be found on the official MLB The Show website.
The official MLB The Show website confirms that Storylines: The Negro Leagues Season 3 will return in MLB The Show 25, once again narrated by Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick. The latest installment introduces a new roster of players, highlighting historic figures whose stories have often been overlooked.
The game’s official press release details additional features, including updates to fan-favorite modes and the debut of three new Legends. The latest gameplay trailer showcases these additions, offering a deeper look at the expanded content in this year’s edition.
MLB featured on their X profile on February 4, the renderings of how the NCAA Division I programs will be featured in MLB The Show 25.Â
It sounds like a whole new ballgame.
Experience the evolution with authentic on-field sound effects.Pre-order #MLBTheShow 25 at https://t.co/wlP1bNG38d
Available on March 18 pic.twitter.com/V5MKgmFaDC— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) February 13, 2025
Previous College Baseball Video Games
The last college baseball video game to hit stores was MVP 06: NCAA BASEBALL and MVP 07: NCAA BASEBALL, developed by EA Sports and featuring all NCAA Division I teams.
MVP 06: NCAA BASEBALL, released on January 17, 2006, featured former Texas Longhorns star David Maroul on the cover.
MVP 07: NCAA BASEBALL, released on February 6, 2007, featured former Long Beach State pitcher and 2004 Roger Clemens Award winner Jered Weaver wearing his 2004 college uniform, despite already being drafted 12th overall by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 2004 MLB Draft.
During his college career at Long Beach State, Weaver was considered the top pitching prospect in the country, finishing the 2004 season with a 15-1 record, 1.62 ERA, 213 strikeouts, and just 21 walks over 144 innings. He won both the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy, two of the highest honors for amateur baseball players, before moving on to MLB.
The NCAA Video Game Licensing Battle and NIL’s Impact
EA Sports did not renew its NCAA license after 2008, leading to the disappearance of college sports video games. The change stemmed from a lawsuit filed by former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon in 2009, in which he sued the NCAA for antitrust violations over its use of player likenesses without compensation.
O’Bannon’s lawsuit led to a landmark ruling that changed NCAA compensation rules, allowing student-athletes to earn money through name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals. This decision reshaped college athletics and paved the way for greater financial opportunities for players.
With NIL now shaping college baseball, its inclusion in MLB The Show 25 marks a major step forward. As licensing agreements between college athletics and professional sports expand, Major League Baseball is taking a leading role in integrating NCAA teams into video games.
