James Franklin rips roster limit confusion in House settlement: 'I don't like it at all'

The pending House Settlement is expected to cause massive shakeups in college sports, which many schools are already preparing for. However, before the settlement is going to be approved, more details need to be agreed upon, including roster limits, which have become a sticking point in the negotiations.

Judge Claudia Wilken is being tasked with approving the House Settlement when the time comes. However, she now says that attorneys have 14 days to either phase in or grandfather roster limits as a part of the agreement. That would be instead of immediately adding roster limits to schools.

For many head coaches, like James Franklin at Penn State, the threat of roster limits is frustrating. It’s expected to take away depth and effectively limit walk-ons at college programs. So, while Franklin is against roster limits he’s also paying close attention to the House Settlement.

“I don’t like it,” James Franklin said. “Yeah, I don’t like it at all. As you guys know, I’m a D-II football player. I went to college on a $1,500 scholarship and a full Pell Grant. So, I know what the game of football and college athletics does in general, in terms of helping build well-rounded individuals. What we do in the classroom is complemented by what we learn on the fields and the courts. I’m fighting and scratching and clawing to hold on to what I believe college athletics is all about, and having transformational experiences for student-athletes, not transactional. I’m fighting.”

While the House Settlement did receive preliminary approval, that doesn’t mean final approval is a certainty. The roster limit issue has proved that, as Wilkin shared she won’t approve the settlement if changes aren’t made to the language around roster limits.

Roster limits would also lead to roster cuts. That’s something James Franklin shared he’s waiting to do for the time being. At the same time, Franklin also acknowledged he’s trying to be open about the process with his players.

“That’s why, to me, I wasn’t going to cut to the 105 earlier than I had to, with hope that this may happen, like the judge is doing right now. But I also felt like I needed to tell them what could be coming if this happened, so they have all the information and could make decisions. I don’t want to lose any of them. I’d like for these guys to stay a part of the program until they graduate. And a lot of these young men chose Penn State to get their degree from Penn State and play football,” Franklin said.

“And I think that’s one of the reasons why I think the judge is deciding this — you’re going to have people leave schools because they want both. They want to be able to get their education and play football. And I know the value of a Penn State degree.”

Under the current House Settlement, proposed rosters include football (105), men’s and women’s basketball (15), baseball (34), men’s and women’s soccer (28), softball (25) and volleyball (18). Some schools have already begun working to hit those limits.

“So, I don’t like anything about it,” Franklin said. “But I felt like it was our responsibility to make sure everybody kind of understood.  We explained it in detail, and at that point, it’s their choice.”