With College Football 25 right around the corner, here’s a look at the best and most challenging teams to rebuild in Dynasty mode.
For the first time in over a decade, an official college football game by EA Sports will be released, as College Football 25 will launch worldwide on July 19. And yes, the new game will have Dynasty mode, a staple of the old NCAA Football franchise.
Dynasty was like the Franchise mode of college football for those unfamiliar with the NCAA Football franchise. Players can take control of a college football program, recruit, and attempt to take schools to heights never seen before.
Now that we’re close to College Football 25, here’s a look at 12 schools that have the best teams to rebuild if you’re looking for a zero-to-hero story.
Arizona State
Arizona State is a clear choice for the top of the list, a team that didn’t do well in the Pac-12 during the conference’s final campaign. The Sun Devils went 2-7 in Pac-12 and 3-9 overall, putting the team in the bottom of the conference alongside Stanford, Colorado, and Washington State.
The 2023 season marked the second consecutive year in which ASU finished with a 3-9 marker. The Sun Devils last had a winning season in 2021, when Arizona State went 8-5.
The 2024 campaign will start a new era for the Wildcats, as the university will join the Big 12 amidst the collapse of the modern-day Pac 12 and a massive realignment of college football conferences.
ASU does have some pieces to work with, as the Wildcats will have running back Cam Skattebo, who rushed for nine touchdowns last season, and quarterback Trenton Bourguet.
Boise State
Boise State was arguably the darling of the college football world during the 2000s. The Broncos were a force for years despite not being in one of the premier conferences, as former head coach Chris Peterson led Boise State to Fiesta Bowl wins in 2007 and 2010.
The Broncos have remained a steady team in recent years, as Boise State won 10 games two years ago and eight last year. And, the Broncos have one of the best running backs in the nation in Ashton Jeanty to begin.
The Mountain West isn’t one of the game’s elite conferences, but Boise State presents a unique opportunity to bring that school to the heights it achieved 20 years ago. It’s also an excuse to play on the blue turf.
Boston College
Boston College was once an incredibly strong football program. The same school that produced quarterbacks Doug Flutie and Matt Ryan, the Eagles did win a bowl game last year against SMU in a 7-6 campaign.
However, the ACC is a relentless beast, as Florida State, Louisville, and NC State were among the conference’s best. BC, meanwhile, finished in the middle of the pack in 2023.
While the Eagles improved from their 3-9 season two years ago, picking Boston College has one distinct challenge: can you get BC to become the class of the ACC and take down the likes of Clemson and Florida State, who have dominated the conference in recent years? The good news for BC Dynasty players is that for the first two seasons, they’ll have one of the best QBs, Thomas Castellanos, in the game.
Cincinnati
Things took a sharp turn downward for the Cincinnati Bearcats last fall. After a 9-3 campaign in 2022, Cincinnati went 3-9 in 2023 and finished dead last in the Big 12 conference with a 1-8 record against teams in their own conference.
It’s a far cry from what Cincinnati accomplished in the AAC. In 2020, the Bearcats, led by now-NFL quarterback Desmond Ridder, helped Cincinnati win 10 games. Though they advanced to the Peach Bowl, they wound up losing to Georgia on the path to the cup.
In a tougher conference, albeit one that doesn’t have Oklahoma or Texas anymore, the Bearcats will be a tough rebuild.
Navy
Veterans of the NCAA Football franchise will likely know of the dominance of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The old Dynasty simulations in the old NCAA Football franchise heavily favored run-heavy teams, and the military schools were well-known to utilize triple options at will.
Unlike the Army, the Navy is not independent in college football. Navy is a member of the AAC. Last season, the Midshipmen finished 4-4 in conference play and 5-7 overall in what was an underwhelming run.
The Navy hasn’t had a winning season since 2019. In College Football 25, the Navy presents a unique opportunity to build up a military school that’s been unsuccessful in recent years into a college football franchise.
Rutgers
It’s fair to say that Rutgers will likely be a popular choice among College Football 25 rebuilders.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights were an emerging program in the 2000s, thanks to the leadership of Greg Schiano – who’s back as the team’s head coach – and star players like Ray Rice.
However, things haven’t been rosy in Piscataway, New Jersey, since the school joined the Big 10 conference in 2014. Over the last three seasons, Rutgers has gone 2-7, 1-8, and 3-6 in Big 10 play.
Some notable returning pieces for Rutgers include 2023 leading rusher Kyle Monagai. The Big 10 is arguably the toughest conference in college football, as Michigan, Ohio State, and now the likes of Washington and USC patrol the conference. Rutgers will be quite the challenge.
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SMU
Forty years ago, SMU was a legendary college football program. Eric Dickerson and Craig James helped the Mustangs achieve new heights for the football program before things crumbled thanks to recruiting violations.
SMU was famously given the “death penalty” by the NCAA, which canceled the team’s 1988 campaign, restricted recruiting, and pushed the school down toward the bottom of the college football world.
Fast-forward to 2023, and things have certainly turned upwards for the Mustangs. SMU went 9-0 in the AAC and 11-3 overall, an improvement from their 7-6 campaign two years ago. While SMU hasn’t had the success seen in the 1980s, the program has become more respected.
Now, the question becomes whether one can build on this success further and possibly get SMU to challenge the big boys again. SMU will get their chance for real when the Mustangs join the ACC in 2024, but can you make the most of it?
Syracuse
Like Boston College, the Syracuse Orange are wedged between a rock and a hard place. The ‘Cuse posted a modest 6-7 record last season, but much of the Orange’s damage came from conference play. In ACC play, Syracuse went 2-6. Syracuse will return leading tackler from 2023, Marlowe Wax, and leading rusher LeQuint Allen.
The Orange have had lower points in their program’s history. But it wasn’t that long ago that in 2018, Syracuse won 10 games, went 6-2 in conference play, and took down #15 West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl. Unfortunately for Syracuse, things haven’t been up since.
Like Boston College, this would be a test of whether an unheralded team can advance in the tight Athletic Coast Conference.
UConn
An independent FBS team, the UConn Huskies have been unable to come close to reaching the heights that the school’s basketball program has. Despite being led by former NFL head coach Jim L. Mora, the Huskies went 1-11 in the 2021 campaign and, despite winning six a year later, could only pick up three wins last year.
UConn has played in two bowl games since the 2011 campaign and has achieved very little success since its days in the old Big East football conference.
Thus, the challenge with UConn is extremely difficult.
UMass
Like UConn, the UMass Minutemen are an independent football team that has struggled in recent years. In 2022, the Minutemen went 1-11, losing by 45 to Toledo and shut out by Temple. Last season, UMass finished 3-9, tied with UConn for the worst record among independent teams.
UMass, like UConn, is in a similar spot. Both teams have been unsuccessful in recent years in terms of success and have disadvantages when it comes to recruiting simply because they can’t compete with the powers of the SEC and ACC, among other issues.
So, can you turn things around?
Vanderbilt
When it comes to SEC football, what teams come to mind? Naturally, the likes of Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Florida, and now Oklahoma and Texas come to mind. On the other hand, Vanderbilt has been among the conference’s worst programs for years.
The Commodores have made just nine bowl games in program history, dating back to 1955. Vanderbilt hasn’t had a winning season since 2013, went all of 2020 without a win, and lost 10 games in two of the last three years. The school hasn’t had an All-American on its team since 2016, when former Eagle Zach Cunningham was named one.
With so many powerhouse schools in the SEC, those who rebuild Vanderbilt will have to compete for talent with them.
Wake Forest
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons went 4-8 in overall play last season and 1-7 in ACC play last year, as their only in-conference win came against Pittsburgh. Wake Forest finished last in the conference.
Oddly enough, though, this was Wake Forest’s first poor season in some time. The Demon Deacons appeared in bowl games in the last seven seasons before 2023. However, Wake Forest had just one 10+ win campaign in 2021 when the Deacons won 11.
As mentioned earlier, the competition in the ACC is stiff. SMU, Stanford, and California will join a loaded conference in 2024, making it even more difficult for the Demon Deacons.
Other interesting teams
Here’s a look at several other schools worth re-building in College Football 25:
- Ball State
- Illinois
- Liberty
- Minnesota
- Stanford
Ball State is one of the worst teams in CFB 25, making them a easy selection. There’s also Stanford, a once-dominant school that’s fallen on hard times over the last few seasons. Things won’t get easy for the Cardinal moving forward, as Stanford is now part of a deep ACC conference.
Be sure to check out how to pre-order College Football 25 and learn about what features will be in the game.