Penn State has scheduled a board of trustees meeting for Monday, Oct. 13.
To clear this up right away, nothing in the current agenda has anything to do with the football program.
That sentence will disappoint many, because at this point, it seems that more people want James Franklin to be fired than not.
But for now, the agenda comes down to three things.
- Call to order
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Action item: Proposed asset sale transaction concerning the operating assets of WPSU
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Adjourn
Looks kinda boring, doesn’t it?
But with what’s going on with Franklin and the football program, this could turn into something anything but boring.
ROOM FOR ONE MORE ITEM?
Pat Kraft Penn St. Volleyball September 18, 2024 David Hague/NSN
Penn State could always add another item to the Board of Trustees meeting, and any big decision regarding Franklin’s future cannot be made without the board’s approval.
The biggest issue regarding Franklin’s future would be the cost.
If Penn State fires him now, his buyout would be $56 million.
One must also take into account what it would cost to buy out offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki ($5.7 million) and Jim Knowles ($6.2 million).
Not to mention, Penn State is still funding a $700 million dollar revitalization of Beaver Stadium, which is set to be complete in 2027.
It’s a lot of money, but at this point, a lot of Penn State fans don’t care about the cost.
FRANKLIN’S WORDS ARE TELLING
Photo courtesy of Penn State Athletics
Franklin was asked after Saturday’s 22-21 loss to Northwestern whether or not he still wants to coach Penn State, with a follow-up question being whether he feels staying at Penn State would be the best thing for his career.
Here’s a transcript of both answers.
“Yeah, for me, it’s always been about our players, and those guys are hurting right now. And the fans are frustrated, and I totally get it. We have great fans here. We get unbelievable support. I understand their frustration. Trust me. We’re as frustrated as anybody, the guys in the locker room. But to me, ultimately, it’s about the guys. It’s about the guys in the locker room, and they’re hurting in there, and I’d do anything I could to take that hurt away from them. But like I told them, we got to stick together. We got to tune out all the noise, and we got to get to work.
“That’s the only answer— is get to work. We’ve had some adversity in the past, not like this, and we’re going to get to work. I love those kids. I am committed to those players in that locker room, and I’ve been that way for 12 years. I’ve been that way for 15 years of my head coaching career, and I’ve been that way for 30 years. That won’t change. It’s always been about the players for me; that won’t ever change. That’s what it’s all about for me. So, my commitment is to the guys in that locker room and all the guys that have been in that locker room in the past. So that’s where my commitment is.”
And the follow-up.
“Yeah, again, I take full responsibility for what happened tonight,” he said. “I take full responsibility for what’s happened this season, and I’m committed to the guys in that locker room.”
Notice how he didn’t use the words “Penn State” once in either response.
