NBA 2K26 will introduce college-themed content this Friday, featuring more than 40 active men's and women's basketball players from 16 prominent universities. This marks the first time active collegiate athletes will appear in a basketball video game since 2007's College Hoops 2K8.
The schools included are Arizona, Baylor, Duke, Florida, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Purdue, Texas, UCLA, and UConn. Season 5 will add playable MyTeam cards and wearable college jerseys for The City mode.
Players like Duke's Cameron Boozer and UCLA's Lauren Betts were highlighted in the announcement. Users will receive a "College Celebration Box" with five free agent option packs to build lineups. Alumni cards of NBA and WNBA stars from their college years, such as Kevin Durant and Paige Bueckers, will also be available.
2K Sports describes this as the start of an ambitious project leading to a foundational college basketball experience in early 2027, following EA Sports' withdrawal from the college basketball game space.