One thing fans have been screaming for since the conception of the franchise is online dynasties and it has finally made its way to this year’s version. Up to twelve friends can compete in a league with each other for an astounding sixty years. The creator of the league instantly becomes the commissioner and will need to get on at least once a day to make sure everything is going as it should. No games being restarted, making sure everyone is ready to advance the week, and informing everyone when the week has advanced. All of the recruiting from Dynasty mode is still intact and brings a new competitiveness to getting that number one prospect.

The thing I was very relieved about was during my two online seasons I had almost little to no lag. The players respond the way they do in single player, and they don’t feel like they are moving a second later than they should. I would have really liked to join a league with someone I didn’t know or some long-time veterans of the franchise, but sadly you are only able to invite and join leagues that you or your friends have made. Also, when the commissioner progresses to the next week a notice is NOT sent out to the other members, so the commissioner must then take it upon himself to inform everyone else of when he has advanced the week. All in all, the online dynasties are great and were my favorite part of the game even when I was the commissioner.

NCAA 09 may have its share of problems, but EA has done an excellent job of improving nearly every aspect of the game and improving just the overall presentation. I’m looking forward to the coming years of the franchise to see what unique directions they take when improving the gameplay. The new animations have already opened a lot of doors, but the potential of it is far from being tapped. At the end of the day, if you’ve never liked football games this one probably won’t change your mind, but if you’re an avid fan or just wanting to get your feet wet with a little football, then this is the best the industry has to offer at the time.