Nov 23, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; UTEP Miners mascot Paydirt Pete meets with members of the Pride of the Southland band during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and UTEP Miners at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Saul Young/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images Saul Young/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

EA Sports College Football 26 Update Features Four New G5 Mascots

Originally posted on G5 Football on SI | By Lucca Mazzie | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 9:56 PM ET

On August 6th, EA Sports released an update for their latest college football video game, making changes to visuals, sound, gameplay, and more. One change that many fans are thrilled about is the mascot update. A few were initially left out upon initial release of EA College Football 26.

This new update includes four new G5 programs getting their beloved mascots finally in the game, two from the Sun Belt, one from Conference USA, and one from the American (as well as Virginia's Cavman mascot).

Appalachian State

The Mountaineers’ mascot Yosef is finally in the game. Yosef has been the Mountaineers mascot for almost 100 years, first appearing in a yearbook in 1942. He has an incredible beard, a button-down shirt with App State’s brown and yellow colors, black jeans, and brown boots. Seeing Yusuf in the game allows Mountaineer fans to finally experience the true atmosphere in Boone, North Carolina.

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UTEP

Paydirt Pete is finally in the game. The mascot representing the UTEP mascot, a miner, is an iconic piece to a gameday experience in El Paso. He dresses with a Miners home jersey, a cowboy hat, jeans, and, of course, a pickaxe. His mustache makes the costume 10 times better. Finally, UTEP fans will get to see Pete on the sidelines at the Sun Bowl.

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James Madison

The Duke Dog is James Madison’s iconic mascot. At just over 50 years old, Duke is a key piece to the JMU tradition on game day. The bulldog onesie is already amazing, but adding a purple crown and cape enhances the Duke Dog. The Royal Bulldog will add a fun touch to fans playing with James Madison in College Football 26.

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Memphis

Memphis’s incredible mascot, Pouncer the Tiger, is an awesome piece of the Tigers' atmosphere. He goes along with TOM III, which is a real life tiger. Both the real tiger and costume tiger put make Memphis fans feel as if they are right at home in Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

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EA Sports’ update that features these mascots make the game so much better. Getting a true game day experience is the goal of their game. The stadiums, fight song, fans, and tradition all play a huge factor, but what better way to represent it all than to have the mascot as part of the routine?

EA Sports College Football 26 is available now for Playstation 5 and XBOX Series S and Series X.