For the first time in a college football video game, users will have to decide how much to pay players.That’s the headline addition for EA Sports College Football 27, the third edition of the title since the game’s return after a decade out of production. The game has been one of EA Sports’ best sellers, and this year’s version is set for release on July 9 (or three days early with the Deluxe Edition or the MVP Bundle with Madden).The game will finally be available on PC after being available only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S for the past two years. Kirk Herbstreit has also been replaced as a game commentator by Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt, who will be paired with ESPN’s Chris Fowler in a unique crossover. ESPN’s Holly Rowe also joins the game, along with Football Bowl Subdivision newcomers North Dakota State and Sacramento State.This isn’t a review, as we haven’t played the game yet. That’ll come next month. But there’s a lot to cover. Here are the biggest changes coming to College Football 27 and our thoughts on what they mean.Dynasty Mode: NIL spending and program budgetsDynasty Mode will feel much closer to a pro sports Franchise Mode with the new Dynasty Blueprint. Schools have dynasty points that you allocate to recruits, current players, facilities and coaches. Different schools have different budget sizes, and how much a player or coach wants can depend on the school. A MAC program would have to spend more for a 4-star player than an SEC team, for example, and you might have to pay more for a coach who expects a better job. You can even persuade a player to leave early for the draft by paying him more. Elsewhere, you can buy new equipment for short-term help or invest in facilities for longer-term help with recruiting and development.Chris: As a Dynasty guy, this feels like the biggest change to the game since the first implementation of recruiting. For the first two years of the game’s comeback, developers didn’t know the best way to use NIL because schools couldn’t officially pay players. Now they can, and it’s in the game. It might take a while to figure out the best path. This might be a legit game-changer. I love that you can pocket-watch and see other schools’ payrolls, too.David: Somehow EA managed to make budgeting sound fun and exciting. If it’s done well, it’ll add a ton to Dynasty. Every school has expectations from athletic directors, and that doesn’t only mean winning X number of games. Some schools are more patient than others. Go 11-1 but lose to your rival every year? That’s going to affect your job security, not that anything like that has happened ever or recently in college football.I spend most of my time playing Road to the CFP online and Dynasty — this year, Chris and I established a dynasty with some of our media friends — and both have needed more depth. Making the difficult, impactful decisions that coaches and athletic directors make is a great addition. We want a simulation, and I was salivating at how much depth EA has added to Dynasty. And those decisions are going to vary a lot based on if you begin a dynasty at Akron or at Alabama. That couldn’t be more perfect. But maybe you can purchase the “football alum makes $10 billion in oil money” expansion pack to make some of those decisions a lot simpler.The main addition to Dynasty Mode is the ability to pay players and coaches. (Courtesy of EA Sports)Coaching carousel: Increased job options, new salaries and support staffsThe Dynasty coaching carousel is also much deeper, whether hiring a staff or changing your own job. Users can “express interest” and apply for jobs, whether or not they’re interested in you. You can finally see a prospective school’s budget and its top players. If you express interest in too many jobs, it can negatively impact your current job. But keep in mind that if you express interest, you’ll automatically accept a job if it’s offered. As a school, you also have to hire a support staff, though we didn’t see much of that yet.Chris: Being able to see a school’s budget and roster before you take a job was a must-have, so I’m glad that’s included. We keep hearing in real life that more money should go to players rather than coaches. That’s something you’ll have to consider now. Everything here on paper looks good, but we’ll have to see if it plays out as intended.David: The coaching carousel has been, by far, the worst part of the college football game’s return. The old carousel was way too tied to coach levels and not reality: I could win a national title in my first year as head coach and be rewarded with a generous offer to become Akron’s head coach or coordinate South Alabama’s defense. Meanwhile, in the real world, Curt Cignetti went from a virtual unknown to being pursued by blue bloods who hoped he’d take their calls so they could write him a blank check.