Michigan ‘Let’s Go Blue’ Composers Settle Lawsuit Over ‘College Football’ Video Game Synch

The composers of the University of Michigan’s beloved “Let’s Go Blue” fight song have reached a settlement in a legal dispute over a synch placement in the popular College Football video game franchise. According to a court filing obtained by Billboard on Monday, a resolution has been achieved for all issues in the music licensing disagreement that started in March.

The exact settlement terms remain undisclosed. The lawsuit emerged from a partnership signed by music publishers Theodore Presser and Carl Fischer with Electronic Arts (EA) in 2024, aimed at incorporating “Let’s Go Blue” into the video game College Football. This game made its return after a lengthy absence following updates to NCAA regulations concerning name, image, and likeness rights.

Presser and Fischer argued that they held perpetual rights to manage “Let’s Go Blue” since signing a publishing agreement with composers Albert Ahronheim and Joe Carl in 1978. Ahronheim and Carl, however, contended that the composition rights had reverted to them years earlier and expressed dissatisfaction upon learning of the publishers' unilateral licensing of “Let’s Go Blue” for a mere $1,000 synch fee.

Ahronheim and Carl demanded that EA remove the synch from College Football, which the company subsequently agreed to. This action prompted Presser and Fischer to initiate a contract interference lawsuit against the composers, who subsequently countersued for copyright infringement. Electronic Arts was neither involved in the litigation nor accused of any misconduct.

Both parties sought financial compensation and a court decision to determine the rightful owner of “Let’s Go Blue.” The case hinged on the termination right, a provision in copyright law that enables authors to reclaim intellectual property decades after signing it away. Ahronheim and Carl claimed they successfully asserted their termination rights in 2013, while the publishers argued that the composers had failed to meet a crucial technical requirement in the legal process, thereby preventing the composition from reverting back to them.

The publishers' attorney, Brian Caplan, commented on the settlement, expressing his clients' satisfaction with resolving their differences with Ahronheim and Carl, the creators of “Let’s Go Blue,” and anticipating a positive working relationship moving forward. However, Caplan did not provide further details on how the settlement addressed the composition ownership issue or whether the song will be reinstated in College Football.

Ahronheim and Carl's legal representatives did not respond to a request for comment. EA also declined to comment on the matter.