James Franklin: We're at a 'critical point' in college athletics history

College athletics are still working to understand and adapt to the modern landscape of sports. That comes after major changes like NIL and the Transfer Portal, creating what Penn State head coach James Franklin is calling a critical point in college athletics history.

It was while Franklin was making an appearance on The Joel Klatt Show that the topic came up. There, he emphasized that aspects of these changes aren’t fully understood yet and that finding a long-term plan is going to be important.

“I think you’ve been around the game long enough,” James Franklin said. “I think you’re very strategic, I think you’re extremely smart, I think you understand both levels, and I think the reality is that more times than not — I think the fans struggle with this sometimes — but more times than not what is good for the player is typically good for the institution and the team, and vice versa. That’s really what you’re trying to create in the NFL as much as you possibly can.”

A major reason why this moment is so pivotal comes down to the fact that NIL and the Transfer Portal came to be at the same time. That created multiple new challenges for coaches and programs to deal with at the same time.

“Right now, obviously, I think we’re at a critical point in college athletics history as well as college football’s history. You take two of the biggest changes in our industry, maybe ever, and they both happen at the same time, NIL and Transfer Portal, that I think some decisions are gonna have to be made by very intelligent people.”

One thing James Franklin is happy about in this moment is his current situation. At Penn State, he has a voice in how the institution thinks about these changes, which he emphasized isn’t the case for everyone.

“But I think one of the things that’s happening right now, which I don’t know has always happened in the past, is with input of the practitioners. With coaches having input of what this is going to look like. I’m fortunate because I’m at a place with an athletic director in Pat Kraft and a president in Neeli Bendapudi where they call me,” Franklin said.

“I know that sounds crazy but that doesn’t always happen… So, the president is at a presidents meeting and she’ll call me or text me and say, ‘Hey, what’s your opinion on this?’ That is really valuable in a lot of different ways. You feel appreciated, but also so they’re equipped with the information from the people that are actually doing it on a day-to-day basis.”

One of the biggest recent changes is the House settlement. With that, institutions are going to be to able direct compensation to athletes, creating another new change that needs to be understood and adjusted to in the future.

“I think you’re gonna see revenue sharing is coming. I think we’re gonna end up with some form of collective bargaining agreement, which again, back to my original point, what’s good for the players? They’re gonna have to give and take, and so are the institutions,” Franklin said. “Then I think you can get your arms around this a little bit and it needs to.”