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Oklahoma State

EA Sports updates Mike Gundy avatar, hairdo in new College Football 26 video game

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz07/11/25NickSchultz_7
mike gundy (4)
SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When the deluxe edition of EA Sports College Football 26 dropped earlier this week, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy’s avatar quickly went viral. Fans were quick to notice his hairdo – a 70s-style afro – was different than his signature mullet.

Ahead of Thursday’s worldwide release of the video game, EA Sports made an update. It changed Gundy’s hair style.

Rather than the afro, Gundy’s hair looked more like his usual flow. It was part of the initial update following the release, which marks the first time coaches are in the video game.

During Big 12 Media Days this week in Frisco, Gundy received a question about whether he had seen what he looked like in the game. While he had not played it yet, he saw a screenshot and joked the avatar had “permanent hair” and thought it was “great.”

“I have not played the game, but I think it’s pretty cool somebody put me in a video game. Somebody showed me a picture just recently of it and they gave me a great hairdo,” Mike Gundy said. “Like I have really good hair, but that’s like permanent hair for, like, ever. But I’m good with it. I wish my royalties off it were as much as the players, but should be fun.”

EA Sports College Football 26 released its deluxe edition on Monday, giving three days of early access to fans who purchased it. EA is looking to build on the success of College Football 25, which shattered records upon its release as the college football video game made its triumphant return.

The company announced the video game had seen 6.5 million unique players to date. Quick math shows EA brought in more than $400 million in sales from the game.

However, College Football 25 didn’t have coaches’ name, image and likeness. Players were able to opt-in through an NIL deal, but coaches were not in the game. That was among the changes for College Football 26 as more than 300 head coaches and coordinators appear.

Not everyone opted in, though. A number of coaches are not in the game, including Colorado’s Deion Sanders, Miami’s Mario Cristobal and North Carolina’s Bill Belichick.

This year’s standard edition cover will also feature two sophomore wide receivers – Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Alabama’s Ryan Williams. Additionally, the deluxe addition features a mix of current college football stars, head coaches and legends, as well as fans in the background.