Forget Aug. 24, which is the start date of the 2024 season.

The real date college football fans should circle is July 19.

EA Sports announced Thursday that its highly anticipated EA Sports College Football 25 game will be released worldwide on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on that date. That wasn't all the company revealed, as Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Colorado wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter will be on the cover.

They are also on the cover of the deluxe edition with other athletes:

Edwards helped lead the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff national championship last season with 104 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries in the title game win over Washington. He is returning for the 2024 campaign and figures to be a focal point of the team's offense.

"EA Sports games are legendary and to see myself on the cover of College Football 25 is truly surreal," Edwards said. "It's a huge honor to join past Michigan greats as a cover athlete on an EA Sports college football game and keep the tradition going."

It was a Michigan player on the last cover of the iconic game when quarterback Denard Robinson graced the cover of NCAA Football 14.

As for Ewers, he also led his team to the CFP last season and figures to be among the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy this season. And Howard was a two-way star for Deion Sanders' Colorado team and has the opportunity to play his way up draft boards with another excellent season in 2024.

"To represent the burnt orange on the real and virtual gridirons is such an honor," Ewers said. "EA Sports games were the first place I lived out my childhood dream of playing for the Longhorns, so it's a full-circle moment to now be on the cover of College Football 25."

Hunter said, "I couldn't be more pumped to be part of College Football 25 and represent my Buffaloes on the cover of a game with so much excitement behind it. I can't wait to play and see myself, my teammates and my school in the game."

Fans won't even have to wait until July 19 to see Howard and others on the virtual field if they order the EA Sports MVP Bundle, which will provide three-day early access for College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25.

It has been quite the journey to reach the point of a release date considering the latest edition of the game was NCAA Football 14.

Those previous editions didn't feature player names even though they often included correct uniform numbers and approximated player ratings. The cover athletes were also players who had exhausted their collegiate eligibility.

That is no longer the case thanks to the implementation of name, image and likeness rules that now allow players to be paid for their participation.

EA Sports revealed in March that more than 10,000 players across the country had already opted into the upcoming game, which will give it a feeling of authenticity that wasn't there in previous iterations.

And that authenticity will be available to gamers in just more than two months' time.