On March 4, 2024, Arch Manning, nephew of all-time NFL greats Peyton and Eli Manning, opted out of being in the new edition of the NCAA Football video game series.
Significance
The NCAA Football fans have been deprived of new-release-sustenance dating back to the summer of 2013. With the announcement of a new game this summer, fans were elated to see their favorite teams and players featured in the release. However, they quickly learned that big-name prospect Arch Manning would be opting out of appearing in the game. He was the only major athlete to do so.
The report said he wanted to be, “…focused playing football on the field.”
Fallout and Reversal
This seemingly baffling move was met with absurd criticism and many people questioning his character. Many of the top criticisms included the fact that being in the game does not directly distract you and that opting in only gives you more name exposure. On July, 9, Manning would reverse his decision with the announcement being made through an entertaining video featuring his uncle, Eli.
Wrap Up
What if the Manning family had a plan with Arch opting out of this historic new release? The family has a lot of pull and the announcement came at a timely moment upon the game’s release. It was reported that Arch received anywhere from $50,000 to $60,000 for the advertisement that was posted, far exceeding the standard compensation of $600 and a free copy of the game for opting in. Sometimes you’ve got to look at the big picture, and to me, it looks like Arch Manning was playing chess while everyone was playing checkers.
Here’s the link to the advertisement on Twitter:
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