After getting fired by Penn State on his day off, James Franklin had roughly 49 million reasons to know he'll land on his feet, all in dollars, of course. That's the insane amount the longtime coach will walk with, per the terms of his buyout with the school. However, there's one slight catch.
Franklin is required to actively look for coaching or broadcast roles to get his $8 million per year from Penn State until 2031. If he finds a position with one of the networks paying less than his buyout, the school will chip in the difference. An odd clause but one that makes logical sense to cover the interests of Penn State.
This caught many reactions on social media, including Ryan Clark, who had the best take on the situation. It's not what Penn State wants to hear at all and puts it all into perspective.
"Welp!! I’d start a podcast and shoot it on my phone with a tripod. Low overhead," the ESPN analyst wrote on X. "It’s a media job… and now they only have to pay me $7,999,990 because I’m gonna sponsor myself for $10."
Welp!! I’d start a podcast and shoot it on my phone with a tripod. Low over head. It’s a media job… and now they only have to pay me $7,999,990 because I’m gonna sponsor myself for $10. https://t.co/dEKIk32Cvk
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) October 14, 2025
For the low price of $7.99 million per year, Penn State could support the great "James Franklin experience" podcast for the next six years. Clark's take is interesting and a loophole not many considered when Franklin re-signed his deal in 2021.
As of now, Franklin appears to be on the good side of things. There was a rumor Adidas had called on Penn State to make a coaching change. While school officials have denied the outfitter had any involvement with any decision related to Franklin, there was a great deal of speculation.
After a 3-3 start to the season, the Nittany Lions will try to salvage any postseason hopes without star quarterback Drew Allar, who suffered a season-ending injury in last week's loss to Northwestern.
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