NCAA Football 2004 is a single-player and multiplayer sports simulation game based on American college football. The game features all 31 Division I-A conferences and more than 100 licensed college teams. Players take the role of a head coach or athlete, guiding their team through single games, full seasons, or multi-year campaigns while competing for national championships. Each game emphasizes recreating the atmosphere of college football, complete with marching bands, fight songs, stadium-specific traditions, and commentary.

Several returning gameplay modes include Exhibition play for quick matches and Dynasty Mode, where players control a program across multiple seasons by recruiting athletes, managing rosters, and competing for conference and national titles. The Dynasty structure allows for tracking player progression, redshirting, and performance over a span of years, emphasizing the long-term development of a college football program. A Create-a-School option exists, which allows players to design custom programs complete with uniforms, mascots, and stadium details. Practice Mode provides a controlled environment for rehearsing offensive and defensive strategies, while Play Editor offers tools for designing unique plays that can be integrated into team playbooks.

New to this entry is the College Classics mode. This mode presents historic matchups from real college football history, challenging players to relive and recreate legendary moments on the field. Success is measured by how closely players match or surpass the outcomes of the original games.

On the field, gameplay introduces new tackling animations, improved ball physics, and more responsive zone defense mechanics. Passing routes and blocking assignments are refined, and offensive and defensive playbooks are tailored more closely to each team’s real-life style. Control refinements allow for enhanced jukes, spins, and stiff-arms, adding variety to the running game.

Multiplayer gameplay supports both competitive and cooperative play. Friends can compete head-to-head or team up to control different positions on the field.