The highlight of this Thursday's update is twofold-not only are new LTDs in packs, but there's also fresh XP to grind. For dedicated players, this means one thing: pushing to max out the Field Pass. At the moment, hitting level 61 is within reach before Season 2 drops in just six days. If EA follows last year's pattern, we might also see a coin conversion pack before the new season-and sure enough CFB 26 Coins, it's already live.
The Coin Conversion Pack offers a 250+ coin quicksell item. It's tempting to go all-in on these, but smart players should pace themselves. The new XP rewards are great, but your trophies might be better spent upgrading certain players-some of whom can now reach 87 OVR.
Meet the New LTDs
This week's player drop is a big one:
Mai Lemon (WR, 89 SPD)-Standing at 5'11" with excellent route running, Lemon is shaping up to be one of the top receivers in the game. His speed alone will make him a dangerous deep threat.
Lenor Sers (QB, 85 SPD, 87 THP)-A strong-arm quarterback with mobility to boot. While Warren Moon has been QB1 for many players, Sers could easily take the top spot for those looking to blend speed and throwing power.
As of the initial pack opening, neither player had many listings on the market-meaning pulling one early could mean massive profit.
The Pre-Pack Prep Strategy
The key to maximizing your pack luck isn't just opening them-it's about preparing before the LTDs hit.
Going into today, the strategy was simple: stack up cheap training.
That meant buying:
87 OVR players at around 100k coins
83 OVRs for about 18k
85 OVRs for roughly 45-46k
The result? 32,000 training to roll when the LTDs went live. And that's exactly what we did.
Booster Packs First
Before diving into training rolls, the plan was to take a shot at the Booster Packs. These have a slim chance of giving you LTDs-although, for some, that "slim" part has been painfully accurate. Personally, I haven't pulled one from a booster since launch.
The logic was: if you pull an LTD here, sell it instantly before prices drop, then buy back later. Multiple pulls? Keep one for the team.
This time?
No luck. Just a handful of mid-tier cards that got quicksold for more training.
Now with 36,000 training in the bank, it was time for the real fun.
Chasing LTDs with Alumni Packs
There are multiple training pack options-Mainstays, Fresh Faces, Walk-On Wonders, Name of the Game-but after testing, the 87+ Alumni pack seemed like the safest bet. Why? Fewer total cards in the pool means slightly better odds at hitting the LTDs.
First Roll: Boom. LTD Julius Peppers on the very first pull.
85 SPD, elite presence, and still going for a solid chunk on the market-although prices are starting to slide. He's good enough to keep for the squad.
Second Roll: Nothing special-just quicksell fodder.
Switching over to the cheaper Mainstays packs felt riskier. Yes, they cost less, but the pool is larger, meaning the odds of pulling a high-value LTD are lower. After some testing, it was clear-Alumni packs were the move.
Two Peppers and Counting
With 21,000 training left, the hunt was on for Lemon or Sers. The rolls kept producing 87+ cards-mostly Jonathan Ogdens, which aren't bad but won't make you rich. Then, it happened:
Bang. Mai Lemon, 89 OVR.
The wideout we were targeting all along. Listed at 89 speed and selling for 700k coins, this was a huge pull. Between him and the two Julius Peppers, we'd already made our coins back with profit to spare.
Still, with training left, the hunt for Sers continued.
The Dream Finish: Two Lemons
The rolls continued with the same Alumni pack strategy. Then, just as training was almost gone, another big animation appeared.
Second Lemon.
Two 89 OVR Lemons plus two LTD Peppers-that's roughly 1.4 million coins before even counting the smaller pulls. This was one of the best Thursday LTD runs to date.
Sell or Hold?
The classic question after a huge pull: do you sell now or keep them? The answer depends on your goals. For coin-maxing, selling immediately makes sense-prices tend to drop as more packs are opened. At the time of pulling, Lemons were listed around 699k coins, but it wouldn't be surprising to see them climb slightly before settling lower.
In this case, one Lemon hit the auction block for just under 700k. Peppers, still a solid 250k-300k pull, might be worth keeping for the roster given his unique combination of size and speed.Final Tally
Training spent: 36,000
Key pulls:
2x Mai Lemon (89 OVR)-~700k each
2x Julius Peppers (LTD)-~250-300k each
Total estimated coin value: 1.4-1.5 million, plus extras from the smaller pulls. And remember-the initial investment came from buying training cheap earlier in the week, making the profit margin even better.
Why This Strategy Works
Pulling LTDs will always have some luck involved-but smart preparation tips the odds in your favor. Here's why today's method paid off:
1.Buying Training Early-Avoid inflated prices when LTD hype hits.
2.Choosing the Right Pack-Alumni packs offered a smaller pool and better shot at the targets.
3.Selling Quickly-Moving high-value cards before the market floods keeps your profit margins high.
4.Boosters as a Side Play-Even if they didn't hit this time, booster packs remain a low-cost gamble before rolling your main training stash.
Extra XP and Season 2 Prep
While today's LTD pulls were the star, don't overlook the other updates:
New XP means you can finish out the Field Pass before Season 2 drops in six days.
A coin conversion pack is live-great for dumping unused trophies.
Certain players can now be upgraded to 87 OVR, so plan your roster moves accordingly.
Getting your team ready now means you'll hit the ground running when Season 2 launches.
The Takeaway
Thursday LTD days in College Football 26 can be a roller coaster. Sometimes you get burned; other times, you hit big. Today was one of those days where preparation met opportunity-stacking training ahead of time, focusing on the best pack pool, and striking early paid off in a massive way College Football 26 Coins for sale.
