13 women's national team players have been removed from FIFA 16 after the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) informed EA that the athletes would be risking their eligibility for college selection if they remained in the game.

In a blog post informing players of the roster change, EA took a firm stance against the NCAA, with the publisher stating outright that it does not agree with its position.

"All rights were secured following standard protocol with national governing bodies and federations, and none of these NCAA student-athletes or potential student athletes were to be individually compensated by EA Sports for their inclusion in the game," said the publisher.

"We believe this decision denies these 13 athletes the opportunity to represent their countries in the game, but we have removed them from FIFA 16 to ensure there is no risk to their eligibility."

This isn't the first time EA and the NCAA have locked horns, with the pair having battled it out in court a number of times in recent years following disputes over player likenesses and contract breaches.