EA has been compelled to remove 13 women from FIFA 16 due to NCAA concerns that these players would be putting their eligibility for college sports at risk by being included in FIFA 16.

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Kadeisha Buchanan, Canada

Jessie Fleming, Canada

Ashley Lawrence, Canada

Janine Beckie, Canada

Rebecca Quinn, Canada

Sura Yekka, Canada

Celia Jiménez, Spain

Tanya Samarzich, Mexico

Greta Espinoza, Mexico

Christina Murillo, Mexico

Amanda Perez, Mexico

Emily Alvarado, Mexico

Maria Sanchez, Mexico

EA has confirmed via a statement on its website that North America’s National Collegiate Athletic Association had contacted the publisher regarding the issue.“Of the hundreds of players on these rosters, 13 are currently attending or likely to attend NCAA-sanctioned schools in the US,” said the statement. “The NCAA recently informed EA Sports that these 13 student-athletes would be risking their eligibility for collegiate athletics by being included in FIFA 16.”“We do not agree with this 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.”EA believes this decision denies these 13 players the opportunity to represent their respective countries in FIFA 16 but has removed them from the game to ensure “there is no risk to their eligibility.”The list of players who will no longer appear in FIFA 16 is below:While EA is no stranger to issues involving the NCAA the college sports organisation, which collects millions in licensing, merchandise, and sponsorship deals, has come under increasing fire for its strict rules prohibiting its student athletes from being compensated in any way for playing sports.FIFA 16, the first game in the series to include women’s national teams, will be available next week, but EA Access subscribers on Xbox One can play up to 10 hours of the game now.

Luke is Games Editor at IGN AU. You can find him on Twitter