College Hoops 2K9 Canned

Sports fans looking for more than one offering in the college basketball genre are out of luck this year.

Following earlier reports on Kotaku that 2K Sports and the Collegiate Licensing Company had failed to reach a licensing agreement, parent publisher Take-Two has today confirmed that College Hoops 2K9 has been officially cancelled, throwing the fate of the franchise into question.

"2K Sports has decided not to continue negotiations with the CLC for the license for its top-rated College Hoops franchise, which would have been released next in November 2008," responded a Take-Two representative when contacted on the matter.

"We are committed to providing fans with high-quality, critically-acclaimed sports games, but given our disciplined approach to the business, we do not believe the current discussions would result in an acceptable outcome."

The news leaves 2K competitor EA Sports with yet another exclusive license.

Electronic Arts sealed a five-year deal with the NFL in 2004, followed by a six-year signing with the NCAA in 2005, pushing 2K Sports out of both the official college and professional football market.