Sega NCAA Football 2K3 User manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Intro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Control Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Menu Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
General Gameplay Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Calling Plays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
On Offense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Before the Snap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Running the Ball. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Passing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Quarterback Scramble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Pass Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Catching a Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
On Defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Before the Snap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
After the Snap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
SpecialTeams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Kicking the Ball. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Receiving Punts and Kickoffs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Replay Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Main Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Game Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Exhibition Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Choosing Teams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Controller Assignment Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Coin Toss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Selecting Your Plays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Season Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Legacy Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Customize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
1

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2

INTRO
On a crisp autumn day, the crowd comes alive as the first
notes of the school fight song blast out from the marching
band on the field. The season is about to begin and the hopes
and dreams of the student body and the alumni are running
high. This is your year. The conference championship is there
for the taking… a top national ranking is within your grasp.
Do you have what it takes to lead your team all the way? Do
you have what it takes to go to the Fiesta Bowl and win it all?
With NCAA 2K3 you can find out. Select your Alma Matter and
lead them into contention for the top spot. You can even win
one of your players the Heisman Trophy, but it will take a solid
offensive output week in and week out to get there.
NCAA 2K3 is packed with all kinds of great features like an
ESPN broadcast presentation, all new player models, all 117
Division 1-A schools, mascots, cheerleaders and rabid student
sections to recreate the electricity of a college football game.
In Season and Legacy Modes you will get to guide your team
through a regular season and see how you stack up in the
Writers Poll, Coaches Poll and Sega Championship standings.
If you do well enough your school will get invited to one of the
25-post season bowl games. And if you are good enough to
wind up in one of the top two spots of the Sega Championship
poll at the end of the year, you will compete for the National
Championship at the Fiesta Bowl.
But once you've reached the top of the college game,
can you stay there? See if you can in Legacy Mode. Build
your program with strong recruiting classes. The better you
do, the easier it will be to bring in the top talent. You'll also
be able to go through Spring Training workouts to improve
the skill level of your players. Compete in different regi-
mens of offensive and defensive drills to get your team
ready for next year.
CONTROL SUMMARY
NCAA 2K3 is designed with analog functionality in mind.
The DUALSHOCK 2 analog controller provides a fuller
range of motion and adds to the overall depth of the
game. However, if you're more partial to using the direc-
tional buttons, the default control scheme allows you to
use this method to control player movement. Either way
is acceptable, it's a matter of personal preference.
MENU CONTROLS
Button Action
left analog stick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Move cursor
✖button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Select Menu Item /
Scroll forward through
the highlighted
selections
●button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scroll backward
through the highlighted
selections
■button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Command Help Menu
▲button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cancel selection /
return to previous
screen
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Coach's Corner: Help
On most menu screens you can get help by pressing
the ■button.
Coach's Corner: Virtual Control
Are you more than ready to take it to the opposition,
but tired of trying to remember all of those buttons?
Well, for those of you who just want to get down to
the business of playing football, allow Sega Sports to
introduce you to your new best friend - Virtual Control.
Virtual Control is an analog-focused control system that
will allow you to perform any of the game's moves
without ever moving your hands from a natural position
on the analog sticks. You will be closer to the field than
ever before! Getting the most out of this advanced
control mode will take some practice, so be sure to look
at how the system works by examining Virtual Control
commands, found in parentheses () alongside their
standard companions throughout this manual.
GENERAL GAMEPLAY CONTROLS
START button (during gameplay). Pause Menu
left analog stick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Highlight
formations
or play sets
● button (at line of scrimmage). . Change control
of your player
CALLING PLAYS
R1/L1 button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Toggle through
formations
✖button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Select formation
or play
▲ button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View previous
formations or play sets
●button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flip play or formation
■button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View plays by package
Coach's Corner: Bluff Mode
When you are playing against another human opponent,
the last thing you want them to know is what play you
are calling. To keep the defense guessing, press the ✖
button and keep it held down. You can then scroll
through other pages of plays or formations to hide your
play. When you release the ✖button, it will call the play
you originally selected.
When you are playing a game with more than one
person per team (e.g. two-on-two), either player on the
team can select a play. If you are on offense, the first
person to enter a play will be the quarterback. Be
careful though, both players will be able to select the
play at the same time, so you will want to designate
who the playcaller will be.
Coach's Corner: AI Play Calling
Need a hand? Then ask NCAA 2K3 for assistance.
During play calling, press the ✖button once and either
the offensive or defensive coordinator for your team
will suggest a play. Press the ✖button again to accept
the selection.

BEFORETHE SNAP
✖button (R3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hurry players to the
line of scrimmage /
snap ball
▲button
(right analog stick Up) . . . . . . Call up the Audible Menu,
press ✖, ●, or ■ to
select an alternate play.
Press ▲to cancel.
■button
(left analog stick Left). . . . . . . Lower crowd noise
(quarterback)
●button
(right analog stick Right) . . . . Fake snap signal
R2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hot Routes
NO HUDDLE OFFENSE
The absolute best way to keep the defense on its heels is
to go with a no huddle offense. The defense never gets
a breather and you will be able to dictate the pace of the
game. The no huddle offense is also a great way to
score quickly as less time will run off the clock. Press
the ▲button (right analog stick Up) immediately after
the completion of the play to quickly run the same play
again. From there you can call an audible or create
your own variation by sending your receivers out
on Hot Routes.
89
RUNNINGTHE BALL
Keep the ball on the ground and pound it out. You will
control the clock and your running back will be racking
up the yards in his pursuit of the Heisman Trophy. Here
are the controls for running with the ball.
✖button (L3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . Speed Burst / Power Move
L1 or R1 button
(right analog stick) . . . . . . . . . Stiff Arm Left / Right
L2 or R2 button. . . . . . . . . . . . Juke Move
■button (R3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dive
▲button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hurdle / High Step
●button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spin Move
Coach's Corner: Instant Energy
Press and hold the ✖button (L3) while running to fill the
player arrow completely. You're all charged up now!
Press any special move button and you will be able to
put a little bit more umph into it. Your stiff arm will be
more devastating, your spin move more elusive, and
your juke move more slippery.

RUNTYPES
There are several ways to move the ball on the ground.
Here are some key terms to help you keep the offense
moving forward.
Draw . . . . . . . . A delayed run up the middle. Draw
plays work well against a blitzing
defense.
Dive . . . . . . . . . This is the forte of the power back. The
ball carrier takes the ball and plows right
up the gut. Get to the hole quickly; if you
can make it through the line you will be
running free through the secondary.
Counter . . . . . . Works great against a defense that suffers
from over pursuit. The defense thinks the
play is going one way, but the ball carrier
goes the other way. This only works if
your offense can really sell the fake.
Trap . . . . . . . . . The trap play is designed to suck the
linebackers into the wrong hole. Get the
linebacker where you want him and the
trap play will work well.
Pitch / Toss. . . . If you've got a speedy running back, get
him to the corner in a hurry with the
pitch or toss play.
10 11
Coach's Corner: Spin City
NCAA 2K3's spin move feature might be a bit
different than you are used to. When you press the ●
button, you won't make the spin move right away - it
only preps your runner for contact. As soon as a
defender makes contact with the ball carrier, you'll
execute the spin move - hopefully leaving your
defender clutching nothing but air.

12 13
Coach's Corner: Running the option
An offense you see a lot of in college football is the
option. The quarterback can hand it off to a running
back diving up the middle by pressing the ✖button. If
the QB decides to keep it, he'll start running to the out-
side (like on a pitch or toss play) and then it's decision
time once again. The quarterback needs to read the
linebacker
and either keep the ball, or pitch it to the running back
by pressing the R2 button. Option plays are colored
yellow in your playbook.
PASSING
Running the ball will get you yards by the handful, but
it is the passing game that will get you yards by the
bunches. Be careful though, if you throw the ball up
for grabs the momentum of the game can turn in a
heartbeat. One of the most deflating things for a team
is seeing a cornerback intercept a pass and streak down
the sidelines for a touchdown.
Any button . . . . . . . . . . .Pass to that receiver
(double tap to fake)
L2 button . . . . . . . . . . . .Pump fake
R2 button . . . . . . . . . . . .Throw the ball away
Coach's Corner: Set your feet!!!
Having problems completing passes? You probably
aren't giving your players the best chance. Most real
players can't wing the ball downfield while on the run;
they need to plant their feet before they throw. So make
sure you do the same when you are playing the game.
Stop moving for just a moment and your completion
percentage will go up.

QUARTERBACK SCRAMBLE
Even the best offensive line in college football will let a
defender through from time to time. So when you see
the defense coming through, you need to make a quick
decision - throw the ball away or take off running. Hold
down the R1 button and your QB will become a runner
so that you can scramble out of the way. Once you've
passed the line of scrimmage, you can let go of the R1
button as you can't pass the ball anymore.
R1+L2 / R2 button. . . . . . . . . . Juke Move
(right analog stick Down
left or right analog
stick Down Right)
R1+ ✖button (L3). . . . . . . . . . Speed Burst / Power Move
R1+ ●button . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stutter Step / Spin Move
(right analog stick Right)
R1+ ■button (R3) . . . . . . . . . Slide
R1+▲button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hurdle
(right analog stick Up)
R1+(right analog stick Left) . . Dive
PASSTYPES
There are numerous pass plays that you can call, but
they break down to three basic categories.
Normal Pass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drop back, find the open
man, and let the ball fly.
Play Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The QB fakes a handoff
and then drops back to
pass. Play Action passes
work best when you've
been pounding the ball on
the ground for a long time.
Bootleg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . On the bootleg play, the
QB will fake a toss to one
side of the offensive line
and roll out in the other
direction.
14 15

ON DEFENSE
The offense gets all of the attention, but real football
fans know that it is defense that wins championships.
Stuff the run, shut down the passing game, and force
the turnovers that will lead your team to glory.
BEFORETHE SNAP
●(right analog stick) . . . . . . . . . Select a defender
●+ directional button . . . . . . . . Directional swapping
(left analog stick)
directional button . . . . . . . . . . . . Reposition defender
(left analog stick)
L2 or R2 button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View players
(with defensive
back selected)
L1 or R1 button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shift defensive
line of scrimmage
(with defensive line-
man selected)
✖button (R3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hurry players to the
line of scrimmage
■button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pump up crowd
(right analog stick Left)
▲(right analog stick Up). . . . . . . Call audible
17
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Coach's Corner: Maximum Passing
If you want total control over your passing game, turn
on Maximum Passing from the Controller Assignment
Screen. With Maximum Passing activated, you can lead
your receivers to thread the ball in front of, behind, over,
and around the defenders. To use Maximum Passing,
press the left analog stick in the direction in which you
want to adjust the throw. Press the stick a little bit for a
fine adjustment, press harder for a bigger adjustment.
With Maximum Passing turned on, you also get total
control over getting the ball into the receiver's hands.
Tap the pass button to lob the ball, which works great
for getting ball over the defender that is between you
and your receiver. Press the pass button normally to
deliver a normal throw (make sure you let go of the but-
ton before it leaves the quarterback's hands). Hold onto
the pass button for a bullet pass. Bullet passes work
great when the receiver is only open for a short time and
when the defender is playing deeper than the receiver is.
CATCHING A PASS
Now that the ball is in the air your receiver has to make
the catch. The best receivers run precise routes, have
unshakable concentration, and have a knack for being in
the right place at the right time. You'll notice that once
the ball is in the air, three icons will appear on screen.
The red marker is the shortest place where you can catch
the ball, you'll probably have to jump - ▲button (right
analog stick Up) - to do it. The yellow icon is the perfect
spot to catch the ball. The red icon is the deepest mark
on the field, you'll probably have to dive - ■button (R3) -
to make this catch as it will be coming in low at this
point. Press the ●button (right analog stick Right) to
select the receiver nearest the ball. You don't have to
take control of your receiver to complete the pass, but
doing so and pressing the right button (jump or dive)
can help make a catch you might otherwise miss.

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18
Coach's Corner: Let the defense play
Would you rather be the strategist than the tactician? Are
you afraid that you'll blow the coverage and give up a big
TD? Then let the AI worry about it. Just make sure you
don't touch the controller (either moving the left analog
stick or pressing a button) and the AI will do the rest.
If you do touch the controller, then it's up to you.
AFTERTHE SNAP
●button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Switch defenders
(right analog stick Right)
✖button (L3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Speed Burst
■button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dive / Tackle
(right analog stick Down)
▲button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jump
(right analog stick Up)
L1 / R1 button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defensive line
special move
left analog stick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Control your player
Coach's Corner: Using the Right Player
Before the snap, use the ●button to select which
defender you are controlling. Try to use a lineman or a
blitzing linebacker or safety - that way all you have to
worry about it getting into the backfield and sacking the
QB or tackling the running back. If you select a corner-
back or a safety that is dropping back into coverage,
you won't be able to see the man you're supposed
to be defending if he runs off screen.
Coach's Corner: Say what?
You'll often hear that the defenders are playing bump-
and-run or man-to-man. What does that mean? In man-
to-man coverage, your corner back is up at the line of
scrimmage and is playing the receiver tight. In loose
coverage, your cornerback is locked in on his man, but
starts off the line of scrimmage to give the receiver a
cushion. Defenses use loose coverage when there is a
big speed differential between the receiver and corner-
back (in favor of the receiver) and are trying to defend
against the big play. With bump-and-run coverage, your
cornerback comes up to the line and hits the receiver.
This will slow down the receiver and disrupt the timing
of the offense. Zone coverage designates the defenders
to cover an area rather than a player in particular. The
problem with zone coverage, though, is that the offense
can flood receivers into a zone so there will be more
receivers than defenders.

REPLAY CONTROLS
Need to see that play again? Then pause the game (by
pressing the START button) and select the Replay option.
Now you can watch your Heisman hopeful bust through
the line on that 83-yard scamper or watch your corner
step in front of the receiver to make the big interception
again and again.
✖button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Play / Stop
L1 button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rewind
R1 button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fast forward
left analog stick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rotate camera
directional button . . . . . . . . . . . . . Move camera focus
■button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zoom in
●button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zoom out
21
20
SPECIALTEAMS
Though they're usually the last guys you hear about on
the football field, having quality special teams can make
a difference in the game. Good punters can pin your
opponent inside their own 5-yard line. A good punt or
kick returner can break free of the defenders and score a
game-changing touchdown.
KICKINGTHE BALL
1. Set the ball trajectory and direction with the left
analog stick. Be sure you take into account the
movement of the arrow - it will drift if you let go
of the left analog stick.
2. Press the ✖button to snap the ball / start the play
3. Press the ✖button again to stop the power meter as
close to the top as possible for a booming kick
RECEIVING PUNTS AND KICKOFFS
directional button/
left analog stick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Control return man
after reception
▲button (before catch) . . . . . . . . . Fair Catch
▲button (after catch). . . . . . . . . . . Down the ball
(in the endzone only)
Coach's Corner: Kick the ball!
Too often players get in the habit of going for it on
fourth down. In real life teams rarely go for it, but it
seems that players on the digital gridiron go for it far
too often. Kick the ball and let your defense take care
of business. If you don't make the first down, your
opponent will wind up with better field position.

MAIN MENU
After the NCAA 2K3 title screen has appeared, press
start to see the main menu screen. From here, you
can jump to into the game or set things up just the
way you like them.
Quickstart: Jump into the game with two teams
selected at random. This is a great way to brush
up on your skills before your buddies come over.
Game Modes: Select one of the many game modes
and then head out to the field.
Customize: Design your own players, teams,
and schools.
Options: Change the way the game is presented by
adjusting the volume, the penalty calling, and many
other user configurable options.
Load/Save: Load and Save your game settings.
User Records: Check out how you have been doing
by looking at your stats.
GAME MODES
Practice: Brush up on your favorite team's formations
and plays. Champions are built with a solid foundation
on the practice field.
Tourney: Compete in a 4, 8, 16, tournament to see
who comes out on top.
Exhibition: Match up any two teams and head
out to the field.
Season: Lead your team through a regular season.
Do well enough and you'll be playing in one of the
25 bowl games at the end of the year.
Legacy: With Legacy Mode you will lead your football
program through season after season. Can you build
the next great powerhouse in college football? Recruit
high school seniors, redshirt players, and hold spring
training workouts to improve your chances in the
upcoming campaign. You've got 25 seasons to mold
your school, can you become a legend?
EXHIBITION MODE
Now that you have all of the basics down, let's head on
out to the field and throw the pigskin around. This
game won't count for your season standings, but it is a
good way to get some practice.
22 23

CHOOSINGTEAMS
Note: the team on the left is the visitors and the team on
the right is at home.
To make it easier to find the team you are looking for the
teams are grouped by conference. Press the R2 / L2 button
to scroll through the list of conferences. Then press the
R1 / L1 button to select your team. For a change of pace,
you can also change the playbook your team is using.
Want to see what your team would look like running an
option offense? Then try out Nebraska's playbook.
CONTROLLER ASSIGNMENT SCREEN
Once you've selected the teams, the Controller Assignment
screen appears. Press the left analog stick or directional
button left/right to align your controller with the team you
wish to coach. Once you've picked a team, you can choose
Maximum Passing by pressing the ✖button. When
everything is set the way you want, press the START
button to advance to the game. Controller Assignment
for Exhibition is on the same screen as Team Select;
for all other modes, it is separate (this is to allow the
user access to his User Records’ name during any
gaming mode).
COINTOSS
The visiting team gets to call it. The winner of the toss
gets to choose whether to kick or receive. The loser
chooses which goal to defend. Following the coin toss,
the Special Teams play calling screen appears and the
game is set to begin.
SELECTINGYOUR PLAYS
The National Championship is built around the talent
of the athletes, teamwork, and the coach's playbook.
This isn't old school AI where you could call the same
plays over and over again. To win, you are going to
have to mix up your plays on offense and defense.
Play to your team's strengths. If you have great
cornerbacks, you can gamble more with blitzes and
exotic zone defense. If you have a great running
back, then pound the ball out on the ground. For
the offensive playbook, passing plays are displayed
in blue, running plays are displayed in red, and
option plays are displayed in yellow.
SEASON MODE
To make it to the post season bowl games, you first have
to make it through the regular season. Play conference
and non-conference games as you battle against the rest
of the Division 1-A teams. If you rank high up in the
Sega Championship poll, you will get invited to one of
the premier bowl games. If you're good enough to
finish first or second in the poll at the end of the regular
season, you can move on to the Fiesta Bowl and battle
for the National Championship. In Legacy Mode, the
championship game will rotate between the four major
bowls in this pattern - Fiesta Bowl (2003), Sugar Bowl
(2004), Orange Bowl (2005), and Rose Bowl (2006).
24 25

Once you've selected your school, you will come
to the Season Menu:
Schedule: Take a look at your upcoming opponents.
Options: Just like the options menu from the main
screen, you can set up the game just how you like it.
Customize: Manage your depth chart and rosters with
the customize menu.
Team Select: Change which team you're looking at.
Save: Save your season's progress.
Quit: Exit season mode and return to the main menu.
LEGACY MODE
Welcome to NCAA 2K3’s legacy mode. This is the start
of the 2002 NCAA season. Check out the management
option to see what is happening with your team. Take
over an existing college program or build up your own
national powerhouse.
Management: Set up your team by modifying the
depth chart and scouting your opponents.
Next Week: Advance to the next week of your season.
Schedule: Check out who is playing who in
college football.
Team Schedule: See who your upcoming
opponents will be.
Stats: How many yards does your Heisman hopeful
have? NCAA 2K3 keeps track of tons of stats.
Pour over the numbers to your heart's content.
Save: Save your season's progresss.
Options: Adjust the way the game is played.
See page 36 or a description of the various options.
Quit: Exit Legacy Mode and return to the main menu.
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MANAGEMENT
Depth Chart: Move players from the second string to
starting roles to fill in for injuries or to demote poorly
playing players.
Cut Players: Get rid of players to make room for new
recruits and up and comers.
Scouting: Check out the stats and numbers of your
opponents.
Coaching Strategies: Adjust the weighting of your
team's play calling.
Needs: Check out who's going to be graduating.
This will help you when the recruiting period comes up.
Redshirt: Did you recruit a phenom at quarterback
but he's not ready to unseat your senior QB just yet?
Then redshirt him for the year and he won't lose
his eligibility.
ATTHE END OFTHE SEASON
After the Bowls and before Recruiting, a Coaching
Comparison screen will appear where you might be able
to see your name amongst the NCAA’s greatest coaches
of all time (if your teams perform well enough over a
long period of time). Points are awarded for: Wins,
Bowl Invites, Sega Championship Bowl Invites, Winning
Conference, Leading the Nation in several different
statistical categories, having the Heisman Trophy winner
on your team (and several others). Press the ✖button
to see how you did during the previous Season.
Press the START button to continue on to Recruiting.
RECRUITING
Pick players off of a list of High School and Junior
College recruits (following each season + Bowls). This
lasts 5 weeks; press the START button to advance 1
week. You may visit up to 12 recruits per week (or revisit
players to seal the deal and get them to commit to
your program). Amongst the lists of players you can view
are the Top 150, separate regional selections, by position,
players you’ve visited, and players who have committed
to your program. You switch through these different lists
by pressing the R1, R2, L1, and L2 button; select to visit
(or remove a visit) by pressing the ✖button, and sort a
stat category by pressing the ●button.
PLAYER RATINGS
The best players are “A” rated; the worst are “D”. You
can see what school the player is interested in and the
order he'd like to visit them. Additionally you can see
where the player is in his decision-making process.
Committed: He’s signed with a school.
Packed: He’s made up his mind that he’s going to the
first school on his list, but hasn’t signed yet. There is
very little chance that you’ll change his mind if you
aren’t that first school listed.
Wavering: He isn’t as committed as he once was to the
first school in his list. This is normally caused by a
school with a great reputation/ranking recruiting him
when he didn’t even consider going there.
Slight Lean: Not that committed to the first school list-
ed; another visit will be needed to get this type of player
to change his attitude towards your school (or visits
from the CPU-controlled schools can do the same).
Uncommitted: Thinking about the schools listed,
but not leaning towards any one of them.
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31
30
Coach’s Tip
– Try to recruit players which are nearest to your
school’s level within Division 1-A . Did your team
win it’s Conference and go to a Bowl Game? You will
probably find more “A” & “B” rated players that will be
interested in coming to your school. If you have a losing
record in a weak conference, you will have a hard time
finding those “Elite” players wanting to come to your
school. Play within your program and slowly build up
towards being granted easier access to those “A” & “B”
players by getting the best “C”s & “D”s that you can
and training them hard.
Signing Screen – After the 5th week of recruiting, a list
of players you successfully signed will appear. Above
this list will be listed a number of “Free Slots” you have
available on your roster. If this number is not zero, you
can sign everyone that you have successfully recruited;
if this number is zero, you might need to check your list
to see which players you want to sign. Use the ✖button
to select/deselect the currently highlighted player.
START will take you on to Training.
Training – Training gives you the opportunity to
drill your team, and see real improvements in their
performance. You can distribute your training points
in any way that you desire, but be wary. If you see the
indicator next to the currently highlighted drill change
from LOW to MED or MED to HIGH, you are increasing
the possibility of bad things happening. Players
participating in the drills at these levels will have a
higher possibility of getting injured or having their
ratings becoming unbalanced by training too much in
one area. Also note that points spent on Group Drills
(7-on-7, 6-on-7) spend points across all the positions
which participate in those drills. After you’ve spent all
your Training Points in all of the positions (Press the R1
& L1 buttons to rotate through the different groups),
press the START button to execute your training.
See Page 31 for a brief description of the drills
you can run during Spring Training.
Coach’s Tip
– For a quick way to distribute all your Training Points
in a reasonably safe fashion, press R2 and select “yes”
from the popup which appears. This distribution of
points is not “ideal” or “suggested”; it is just a
starting point - the best training results will come
from experimentation.
SPRINGTRAINING
During Spring Training you will be able to work with
your team to improve their stats and numbers. Here's a
breakdown of the various drills offered during your
spring workouts.
Offensive Drills
7 on 7 - The QB and all receivers, including RB’s,
run pass routes against the DB’s and LB’s.
Rollouts - The QB’s practice moving and throwing
on the run.
Grip Strength - The QB learns how to hold
onto the ball under pressure.
One Knee - This drill helps strengthen the QB’s
throwing arm.
Routes - The QB and receivers need to be on the same
page when it’s time to throw.
Weight Room - Everybody pumps iron these days.
Conditioning - Run, run, run, and run some more.

Playbooks and Gamefilm - You’ve got to know
what you’re doing as well as what the opponents
will be doing.
Bag Drills - Practice running through traffic…
get your knees up!
Gauntlet - With this drill, you run through tackling
dummies and defenders.
Quick Feet/Block Recognition - You gotta learn to
protect the QB.
Linebacker Awareness - If you don’t know where the
LB’s are, the QB will take a pounding.
Patterns - Here you learn how to get open
and catch the ball.
One on One (WR’s) - Receivers need to be able to block
and run routes.
SledTraining (TE’s) - TE’s work down in the trenches
as well. Helps you work on your blocking technique.
6 on 7 - This drill helps the O-line block as one.
High Knees - Offensive linemen need to step on people.
DEFENSIVE DRILLS
High Knees - Bodies fly all over in the trenches.
This drill helps the D-Line step over the pile.
One on One (Def Line) - You against him. Practice
getting around the blocker.
6 on 7 - It’s all about the D-Line and LB’s working
together, and here’s where we get on the same page.
Tackle Drills - Practice blasting the pretty-boy ball
carriers…and it’s fun too!
Weight Room - More muscle = more mass, more mass
= harder tackles…that’s why you play defense.
Conditioning - If your offense is turning over the ball,
you need to be in shape.
Playbooks and Gamefilm - You can’t just be fast and
strong, you’ve got to be smart. This is where we’ll get
an extra step on the offense.
Zig Zags - Since DB’s are chasing receivers all game,
you need to be agile.
One on One (DB’s) - With this drill everyone gets
the chance to be out on an island... being CB isn’t
so easy, is it?
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Bag Drills (LB’s) - Bodies fly everywhere in the box...
this will help you avoid getting tangled up in the pile.
7 on 7 - With defensive pass coverage, you need to
know where everyone is supposed to be, not just your-
self. Let’s go out and practice some coverages against a
passing attack.
Kickers/Punters
Weight Room - Like we said, everyone is pumping iron
these days.
Conditioning - Who knows... maybe the kicker is the
only thing standing between your opponent and a
special teams TD.
Playbooks and Gamefilm - Even if you just kick a ball
there are things that you can learn from film.
Punting Drills - Kick the ball. Go pick it up. Kick it
again. That’s what you do. Now get out there and try
for the coffin corner.
Kicking Drills - OK, here’s the deal. You need to kick
the ball far and straight…we don’t want to be haunted
by any “Wide Right’s."
CUSTOMIZE
Almost everything is customizable in NCAA 2K3, by
selecting Customize from the main menu you can
change the following options:
School Create - Make up your own Division 1A school
for the ultimate challenge. Can you create the next great
football powerhouse?
Player Create - Want to see how you would do on the
college level? Do you want to relive your college glory
days? Then go ahead and input your stats into NCAA
2K3 and create your own player. Maybe you just want to
see if you can create the ultimate collegiate athlete that
can win the Heisman Trophy. Select the player create
option and see if you can do it.
Edit Players - Change the rosters of your favorite college.
Recruitment - Set up the high school seniors that will
be coming to the college level for the next season
Depth Chart - Does your fourth string running back
look more promising? Promote him up to a starting
role with the depth chart menu.
Reset Rosters - Ooops. Did you mess up? Don't
worry, you can always reset the rosters with this option.
Save Rosters - Save all of your hard work so the
players, rosters, depth charts, and recruits are ready
for you the next time you play NCAA 2K3.
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OPTIONS
Customize the way you want to play NCAA 2K3 prior
to kick off with the options menu. Press the ✖button
to cycle forward through an option selection, press
the ●button to cycle backward.
Game Options: Change the game options like quarter
length, skill level, and game speed.
Controller: Change the controller layout from
the default.
Penalties: Select which penalties you want to be
called and the frequency that they are called.
Presentation: Change the camera angle, sound
effects, volume, and ESPN replays.
Credits: Check out the people that brought
you NCAA 2K3 .
Weather: Want to play in the mud? Then dial up the
precipitation and let the rain come falling down.
CREDITS
VISUAL CONCEPTS
NCAA 2K3
Executive Producer
Greg Thomas
Project Manager
Happy Keller
Quality Assurance Director
Chien Yu
LeadTester
Robert Nelson
Assistant LeadTester
Derek Williams
Quality Assurance
Matthew Allen
Erik Andreassen
Stephen Benz
Brad Blakslee
Tim Collins
Derek Davis
Joey Edwards
Bertrand Estrellado
Shane Fenton
Dan Gildengorin
Christopher Gross
Maurice Hill
Craig Kilcoyne
Thomas Kim
Brian Krawchuk
Erik Lampi
Damon Perdue
Andrew Peters
Michael Regan
Eli Robles
Semmy Sebastian
David Winslow
AdditionalTesting
Andrew Davies
Drew Gall
Kevin Hicks
SpecialThanks
Richard Yee
Jenn Baker
Jeff Thomas
Matt Crysdale
Rustin Lee
Mark Allen
Matt Karnes
Brian Luzietti
NFL 2K2
Director OfTechnology
Tim Walter
Lead Engineer
Chris Larson
Lead Artificial Intelligence
Engineer
Shawn Lee
Engineers
Matt Hamre
Nick Jones
Alex Lee
Matt Bandy
Marc LeBlanc
Aki Rimpilainen
Boris Kazanskii
Matt Underwood
Andrew Marrinson
Tim Meekins
Tom Bak
Library Engineers
Ivar Olsen
Eivind Hagen
Chuck Batson
Art Director
Matt Crysdale
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