Penn State Coach Franklin Gives Honest Opinion on NIL, Portal

Nittany Lions' football coach James Franklin talks embracing the current model of college athletics

James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions have enjoyed some success throughout the past few seasons. While every year that doesn't end in the College Football Playoffs should be viewed as a disappointment in Happy Valley, the program has finished top 10 multiple times and has produced high-level NFL players.

Recruiting hasn't necessarily been the issue at Penn State. Sure, they could use some help with more NIL funds, but Franklin has landed promising recruits. Frankly, the lack of an offense has been the issue for the Nittany Lions in big games.

Franklin and Penn State have adjusted to the new landscape of college football, but he realizes that the college football of the old is never coming back. He said the following at a recent press conference:

“The reality is that the college football we’ve all known, the college athletics we’ve all known, that’s not coming back. You’re going to have to embrace the current model that we’re in. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t make it better.”

Changes to NIL deals and the transfer portal could be in the mix soon. With it still being newly introduced, the NCAA could benefit from making changes.

The transfer portal is the biggest part of recruiting now. If a coach and university can't recruit out of the portal, they shouldn't expect to find much success. Franklin, however, doesn't believe that the portal is all that great. He says that it isn't good that athletes are transferring three-plus times.

“You can’t tell me that it’s good for the student-athletes to transfer three, four times. Every time you transfer the likelihood of graduating goes down. I don’t think that’s in anybody’s best interest.”

While the comments are warranted from Franklin, allowing kids to transfer gives them another opportunity at a new school. Coaches constantly change jobs and will leave instantly if a new school offers more money, so why shouldn't athletes?