It’s college football season once again, and, as exciting as that is itself, that means EA Sports College Football is back for round two. Added presentations, tighter gameplay, and more features aside, the real reason fans are excited for the next entry is to dive back into Dynasty Mode. It’s a major reason why I spent over 500 hours playing last year’s game, so I thought I’d share some fun rebuild possibilities for players jumping into the new game. Whether it’s a tough challenge from a one star program, a team filled with pageantry and a uniquely colored field, or simply a fun playbook to rack up the touchdowns, the following schools are the best teams to start a Dynasty rebuild with in EA Sports College Football 26.
5. Rice
The Rice Owls hit the trifecta of what a rebuild school should be. It’s a one star program placed in a smaller conference that will prevent you from recruiting most 5-stars from the start, and they’re outfitted with a fun offensive playbook. The first two points are pretty essential for any sort of real challenge. Even being skilled at the game, recruiting big talent early on will always be a hurdle until you build up the program and conference prestige. The Rice playbook, filled with a heavy emphasis on running, with trick option plays thrown in for good measure, will be a ton of fun to play with while growing out the other facets of what a rebuild needs.
4. Oregon State
One of two teams in the PAC-12 may seem like a strange choice, but with a tiny bit of user input, you can make the Beavers the kings of a new look conference. Dynasty Mode allows for custom conferences to be edited after the end of each season, which you can use to reflect the real world realignment in 2026, adding the six additional teams to the PAC-12, (Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Texas State, and Utah State) for a filled-out conference. With the new teams in place, Oregon State is an exciting challenge in trying to become the dominant school. Going head-to-head against juggernaut Oregon for recruits adds a dose of difficulty, but the RPO heavy playbook will keep the in-season action fun while trying to become the new look PAC-12 leader in due time.
3. Viginia
Playing in the big leagues can be one of the most enjoyable rebuild projects. You’ll have a leg up when it comes to landing all the 3-star recruits, as well as increased interest from 4 and 5-stars looking to play in a power conference. So the challenge lies in building up the least prepared of the primetime options. Schools like Purdue, Vanderbilt, and Minnesota are all contenders for this kind of challenge, but I’m picking an ACC underdog. Virginia is my top choice for this particular scenario as it’s one of the lower rated programs in its conference, but the rivalry with Virginia Tech makes it the pick here, as getting to experience the Enter Sandman entrance is one of my favorite additions to College Football 26.
2. Costal Carolina
If you’re looking for a pure aesthetic choice, look no further than the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. This team checks all the other boxes mentioned previously: 1-star program, member of the smaller Sun Belt conference, and it has an interesting playbook. With all of that said, sometimes a team wins out with style. Between the multiple black and teal colorways of the jerseys, to being one of only three teams with colored fields (teal in this instance), running out to take on your opponents on Saturday has a bit of swagger leading the Chanticleers.
1. Delaware & Missouri State
Being the new kid on the block is never easy, which is why these two teams are fan-favorite picks for Dynasty Mode. This is the first year these former FCS schools will play in Division I, so new stadiums, uniforms, and traditions welcome any players willing to pick the new guy. These schools also allow for a bit of roleplay, as you can determine who your rival schools are, as you work towards being the Conference USA champions. Personally, Delaware is where I started my first rebuild, and the mix of fresh teams to learn with the awful northeastern weather has led to a hard fought rebuild that I fully enjoy.
