Key Takeaways
- Spear Interactive and Pyramid Lake Games signed a partnership with K12 Licensing, a CLC division, to feature real high schools in Varsity High School Football.
- Over 400 schools have already committed to inclusion, with an open submission form available at varsityvideogame.com/k12 for additional schools.
- The deal covers school identities, logos, and uniforms across all game modes. Player likenesses are not included.
- The title is in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with a multi-season dynasty mode and 11 on 11 and 7 on 7 gameplay.
- The agreement extends commercial high school sports licensing into interactive entertainment, a category beyond traditional apparel and merchandise.
A Licensing First for High School Football Gaming
Spear Interactive and Pyramid Lake Games have secured a partnership with K12 Licensing, a division of the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), to bring real high schools into their upcoming title Varsity High School Football. The agreement was first reported by Insider Gaming.
The deal allows the game to feature actual school identities, logos, and uniforms across every mode. Player likenesses are excluded from the agreement, mirroring the structure historically used in college sports video games before NIL reforms.
Scale of School Participation
More than 400 schools have already committed to being included in the game, according to Spear Interactive owner Eric Spearin. Work on the design and development of those schools is underway, with announcements expected in the coming months.
The publisher and K12 Licensing have also opened a public submission form at varsityvideogame.com/k12 for additional schools that want to opt in. “We plan to include every school that wants to take part, regardless of size,” Spearin told Insider Gaming.
Brandon Tucker, director of K12 Licensing, said his organization is working with the schools it represents to support the title and is expanding the opportunity to additional participants.
Game Features and Platform Reach
Varsity High School Football is in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Planned features include a multi-season dynasty mode, 11 on 11 and 7 on 7 gameplay, full team customization, and minicamps. Release timing has not been announced.
Why the Deal Matters for the High School Sports Market
The partnership marks one of the first large-scale efforts to commercialize high school sports IP through interactive entertainment. K12 Licensing, operating under the CLC umbrella, has historically focused on apparel, merchandise, and trademark protection for member schools. Extending that pipeline into a console and PC video game adds a new revenue and exposure channel for participating programs.
For the broader youth and high school sports business, the structure of the deal is notable: an opt-in model that includes schools regardless of enrollment size, paired with a centralized licensing body managing rights. That framework could serve as a template for future high school sports media and gaming products.
Source: Insider Gaming, Paul Tassi, May 2026
Images: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2361950/Varsity_High_School_Football/
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