The Program: College Football

About

"The Program: College Football" is a sport game that allows you to manage a college football team. While it boasts excellent mechanics, the game is riddled with bugs and requires a lot of grinding. Annoying ads further diminish the overall experience. The game's description as a "College Football Manager" is fitting, but be prepared for numerous frustrations.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

The Program: College Football screenshot

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,973 reviews

gameplay39 positive mentions

monetization90 negative mentions

The game offers a deep and engaging college football management experience, allowing players to recruit, train, and build their teams.
The scouting and recruiting mechanics are well-designed, providing a strategic element that keeps players invested.
The game is addictive and has a nostalgic feel for fans of previous college football games.

The game simulation often feels random, with players losing to teams they are statistically better than, leading to frustration.
The season pass is expensive and only lasts for one season, making it feel like a money grab.
Recruiting points are limited, making it difficult to fill team needs and recruit higher-rated players without spending money.

monetization
119 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
13%
76%
The monetization model of the game is generally viewed positively, with many users appreciating the minimal and optional nature of ads, which are primarily used for bonuses. However, there are complaints about the necessity of a $4 season pass to remove ads and gain additional benefits, leading some to feel it resembles a cash grab. Overall, while players enjoy the lack of intrusive ads, they express a desire for more flexible payment options and better value in in-app purchases.
- “Pretty engrossing idle time game which doesn't cost money to do well and has no ads!”
- “Love that there are no ads.”
- “Fun to play and no ads!”
- “Cash grab after 1st level league.”
- “One of the biggest issues I have encountered is needing to pay $4 for a season pass each season to remove ads and get 1 extra flight, 1 extra staff token, and very few additional recruiting tokens.”
- “In-app purchases are a ripoff considering nothing carries over beyond an individual season.”
gameplay
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its depth and strategic elements, particularly in roster management and game planning. However, frustrations arise from inconsistent simulation outcomes, poor AI playcalling, and a lack of control during games, leading to a sense of randomness in results. While the mechanics are generally user-friendly and engaging, there are calls for improvements in clarity, pacing, and the ability to customize gameplay experiences.
- “Excellent gameplay, depth and tutorials.”
- “The gameplay is simple, yet involved, and the progress you make genuinely feels impacted by your decisions.”
- “It scratches the team management itch with just the right balance of quick pace gameplay, and in-depth strategy.”
- “The gameplay makes no sense; if my defense is overall better than that of the other team, I shouldn't see a player single-handedly destroy my team.”
- “Game is kinda fun but overall not very good; the 'season pass' isn't really worth the money and the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. You don't actually get to control anything that happens in the game (going for two, going for it on 4th down, etc.) and the physics are incredibly weird.”
- “Yeah, I'm not even sure what this is; you are pretty much just letting the AI do all the work. There's zero recruiting help or ability, and the inconsistent plays the AI does for your offense are frustrating compared to what the AI does for their offense.”
stability
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
5%
90%
The game experiences frequent stability issues, including freezes and crashes, particularly during the transfer portal and scouting phases. While some players report minor glitches that do not affect progress, others have encountered more significant bugs, especially after updates. Overall, the game shows potential but requires further development to address these stability concerns.
- “Everything runs smoothly with no glitches.”
- “Runs great.”
- “During the off/preseason, the game freezes and crashes during transfer portal selections.”
- “After the update, the game freezes a lot.”
- “Ever since the new update, it's been buggy and crashing every 5 minutes. This needs a new update quickly to fix the bugs!”
grinding
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
97%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely noted as tedious and time-consuming, with many players expressing frustration over the lengthy processes involved in recruiting and completing seasons. While some appreciate the challenge and find it enjoyable as a time killer, others feel that the grind is excessive, particularly with the high costs of the season pass and skewed RNG. Overall, the game offers a fun experience but could benefit from adjustments to reduce the grind and improve the pacing.
- “The grind in this game is rewarding, as it allows you to truly develop your skills and strategies over time.”
- “I appreciate the grind because it gives me a sense of progression and achievement as I work towards my goals.”
- “While grinding can be time-consuming, it adds depth to the gameplay and makes the victories feel even more satisfying.”
- “Currently has a lot of tedious tasks that don't really earn enough points to make a difference or even in-game currency to buy things that could make a difference.”
- “Right now it's too grindy, the season pass is too expensive, and the RNG is too skewed against the player.”
- “Takes all the fun of a college sports game and makes it mind-numbingly tedious.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
41%
18%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their quality and polish, with many users appreciating the visual aspects and UI design. However, some players express a desire for more dynamic visuals during gameplay and improved realism, particularly in player recruitment and game simulations. While the graphics are a strong point, there are occasional technical issues, such as crashes, that detract from the overall experience.
- “Overall, the graphics and UI are very good, and it is a very polished game.”
- “With great graphics and background sounds.”
- “I love the idea behind this game, and the opening graphics look great.”
- “This game is touching on the good feels from managing your team from the EA College Football days, but a mobile game obviously doesn't stand up to console graphics, so the actual games you play are almost secondary to the plot.”
- “Needs a little polishing in translation and graphics here and there.”
- “It would be nice to see a bit more graphics during a game that resembles a game cast on official sports sites.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
75%
19%
The music in the game has received mixed feedback, with many players expressing frustration over repetitive tracks and a lack of variety. Suggestions for improvement include reintroducing original music, adding more diverse soundtracks, and implementing options to mute or customize music settings. Overall, while the gameplay is engaging, the current music experience is seen as a significant drawback.
- “Can you add some background music to it?”
- “Please bring back the original music for the game!”
- “The music is annoying when it just plays the same thing on repeat.”
- “So addicting to play, but listening to the same music for hours is mind numbing.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
20%
30%
The story aspect of the game is generally well-received, with players enjoying the immersive plot centered around building a college football team. While the narrative is engaging and the gameplay mechanics are appreciated, some users express a desire for more control over gameplay and additional storylines to enhance the experience. Overall, the game strikes a balance between challenge and fun, though some find it repetitive at times.
- “It's rather challenging and fun, and I love the plot of building up a college football team.”
- “This game is 100% what I look for in a football simulator: different, fun game mechanics make the day-to-day impactful, the football strategy actually matters and makes sense, fun and immersive storylines, and no pay to win or excessive timers.”
- “Sure, it takes a while to complete the main storyline, but the game feels way less grindy than other GM games.”
- “I really love the game and how it's in early stage, but it's hard to move players up and I don't understand all the missions.”
- “Sure, it takes a while to complete the main storyline, but the game feels way less grindy than other games.”
- “Would be better to have more control in gameplay and assign the scouts on missions instead of each day.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
22%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance and lack of glitches, contributing to an enjoyable experience. However, players feel that the game could benefit from additional features and more varied gameplay elements to enhance long-term engagement. Additionally, the mechanics of team performance and recruitment could be better aligned to reflect coaching decisions more effectively.
- “Everything runs smoothly with no glitches.”
- “Smooth performance and a lot of fun features.”
- “My team's on-field performance regressed as their ratings went up.”
- “We should be able to earn more flights and recruit points for wins and performance.”
- “Your decisions as a coach are reflected in your team's performance.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is well-received, blending realistic gameplay with comedic elements, particularly through the commentator's remarks and amusing character designs. Players appreciate the lighthearted touches, such as funny college and bowl game names, which enhance the overall experience without detracting from the game's immersive qualities.
- “The game has a quite realistic approach but also includes some humorous bits (especially by the commentator) for those that don't want a too serious gameplay.”
- “The college names and bowl game names are hilarious.”
- “It's just funny when your franchise QB has a double chin and looks like he weighs 300 lbs.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
Overall, users highlight the game’s good depth and high replayability, suggesting that it offers engaging content that encourages multiple playthroughs. However, some players feel that monetization aspects, such as ads and extra recruit points, could hinder the experience and suggest a one-time payment option to enhance playability.
- “Good depth and replayability.”
- “High replay value.”
- “Good depth and replayability.”
- “If it was replayable...”
- “Maybe put a one-time payment for the ads and extra recruit points and swaps to at least make it more playable and better for recruiting.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes strong emotional connections by tapping into nostalgic feelings from managing teams in classic EA College Football, emphasizing a positive influence on diverse cultures and societies. While the graphics may not match console standards, the narrative and emotional engagement take precedence over the gameplay itself.
- “This game is touching on the good feelings from managing your team from the EA College Football days, but a mobile game obviously doesn't stand up to console graphics, so the actual games you play are almost secondary to the plot.”
- “This game promulgates good vibes to cultures and societies all over the world, which is a positive influence whether physically or emotionally.”