College Football 25: Playing Style and My School Grades

In College Football 25, Playing Style is a key aspect of how your team performs on the field and how it is perceived by recruits and opponents. Every player on your team has a specific archetype, and their performance over the season determines your school’s Playing Style grade. This grade is influenced by stats unique to each player archetype, which are tracked and compared to other teams. For example, the Field General quarterback archetype’s grade is determined by passing yards per game, while a Power Back running back’s grade might be driven by rushing yards or touchdowns.

Understanding Playing Style

Your Playing Style reflects the identity of your program and directly influences how recruits and transfers perceive your school. If your offense is known for airing it out with tons of passing yards, you’ll naturally attract recruits who thrive in that system, like top quarterbacks and wide receivers. Conversely, a hard-nosed, run-first offense might appeal to powerful running backs and offensive linemen looking to dominate on the ground.

Tracking and improving your Playing Style comes down to aligning your on-field performance with the player archetypes that drive success in your scheme. Throughout the season, stats for these archetypes will determine how high your Playing Style grade is relative to other teams. Schools that can consistently deliver top performances will see their grade rise, attracting even more recruits who fit that style of play.

My School Grades: A Holistic View of Program Strength

While Playing Style is a crucial part of your program’s identity, it’s just one of 14 factors that make up your My School Grades in College Football 25. These grades define what your school is good at and what areas might need improvement. From Playing Time and Championship Contender to Pro Potential and Academic Prestige, every school is given a unique set of strengths and weaknesses.

These 14 categories are:

  1. Playing Time: Reflects how long it will take for a player to become a starter, personalized to each recruit and player based on their position group and overall rating (OVR).
  2. Playing Style: A representation of your team’s on-field identity, determined by the performance of specific player archetypes.
  3. Championship Contender: Measures how close your team is to competing for a national championship, based on current ranking and roster talent.
  4. Program Tradition: Reflects your program’s long-term success, taking into account past championships, wins, and player accolades.
  5. Campus Lifestyle: Represents the environment and lifestyle of the campus and surrounding area; this grade is fixed and does not change.
  6. Stadium Atmosphere: Based on the historical performance of your team at home, this grade reflects your stadium’s ranking as one of the toughest places to play.
  7. Pro Potential: Projects how likely your players are to make it to the NFL, based on current and past players.
  8. Brand Exposure: Grades the strength of your school’s brand, including potential NIL opportunities, primetime TV appearances, and overall brand recognition.
  9. Academic Prestige: Reflects your school’s academic standing based on real-world rankings. This grade does not change.
  10. Conference Prestige: Represents the strength of the conference, calculated by the prestige of its member schools.
  11. Coach Prestige: Reflects the reputation and success of your coaching staff, heavily weighted by the head coach’s performance.
  12. Coach Stability: Measures how long your coaching staff has been in place and the likelihood they will remain over the next few years.
  13. Athletic Facilities: Evaluates the quality of your school’s facilities, from training centers to locker rooms.
  14. Proximity to Home: Unique to each recruit, this grade is based on how close your school is to the recruit’s home.

How Playing Style Fits Into the Bigger Picture

Your Playing Style is critical in recruiting the right players who align with your team’s approach. If you’ve built a reputation for having a high-flying offense or a shutdown defense, recruits who fit those styles will be more likely to choose your program. However, your Playing Style alone isn’t enough. You’ll need to maintain strong grades in other areas like Championship Contender and Pro Potential to attract the best talent.

For instance, if your team ranks high in Playing Style for passing but struggles in Championship Contender, recruits might hesitate to join because they want to compete for titles. Conversely, if your Playing Style aligns with their archetype and your team is a strong contender for championships, you’ll have a powerful pitch.

Managing Grades to Build a Strong Program

Your My School Grades evolve dynamically throughout the season based on your actions and performance. For example, how your team performs on the field impacts your Playing Style and Championship Contender grades, while your recruiting efforts can influence Pro Potential and Playing Time. Monitoring these grades in the My School screen allows you to assess your program’s strengths and weaknesses and identify areas that need improvement.

Weekly updates will provide a snapshot of how your grades have been impacted by your performance and decisions. For instance, a decline in Pro Potential might signal that your team isn’t producing enough NFL-caliber players, which could affect your recruiting pipeline. Likewise, a dip in Playing Time could indicate that your roster is too deep at certain positions, causing players to transfer.

Conclusion

In College Football 25, Playing Style is more than just how your team plays on the field—it’s a key factor in defining your program’s identity and success. Combined with the 14 My School Grades, Playing Style plays a crucial role in shaping your recruiting efforts, program management, and overall team performance. By mastering your Playing Style and balancing it with other grades, you can build a powerhouse program that attracts top talent and consistently competes for championships.

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