5 things we're watching for at Penn State bowl media day on Friday

Penn State football will hold its local bowl media day on Friday at Beaver Stadium. It marks the last time numerous athletic department members will be available to reporters before the team ships off to Pasadena, Calif., for the Rose Bowl and a matchup with Utah in two weeks.

Athletic director Pat Kraft kicks off the festivities at 10:30 a.m. ET. He’s followed by James Franklin at 11:30. Then, coordinators Mike Yurcich, Manny Diaz, and Stacy Collins will be available in successive 10-minute intervals starting just after Noon. From there, nearly 20 players will conduct interviews over two separate waves between 12:40 and 1:30 p.m.

Blue-White Illustrated will have comprehensive on-site coverage. Live updates will be posted in The Lions Den forum. Before the sound bytes begin, here are five things we’ll be listening for throughout the day.

1. What will be said about NIL?

You can’t talk about much in college football these days without hearing a direct or indirect reference to name, image, and likeness. It is dominating the sport as many predicted it would. So, where is Penn State on its quest to match its peers in that regard?

Expect Kraft and Franklin to address where they feel things stand, both from a collective standpoint in State College and across the sport’s landscape. And, it won’t just be specific to just football.

It is too easy of a talking point not to have it listed as the lead-off here. That’s true even if specifics may be hard to come by. Both are passionate about the topic and will want to continue to ensure it’s front and center for fans.

2. What has Kraft accomplished so far, and what’s on his agenda?

This will mark the first time Kraft is available to a gaggle of reporters since Big Ten Media Days. Back then, he said a major focus was on improving NIL at Penn State, but we covered that above. What else will he address?

We expect the leader of the Nittany Lions athletic department to be asked yet again about the future of Beaver Stadium. Other facilities topics are likely to come up, as well.

Kraft may be asked to address the upcoming expansion of the Big Ten and College Football Playoff plus the conference’s new television rights deal, which was agreed to in August. And, it will be interesting to see how many other items he’s checked off his to-do list so far and what his priorities are for early in the new year.

3. Are any new opt-outs going to be revealed?

Penn State coach James Franklin sounded confident two Sundays ago that his team would not deal with many opt-outs for the Rose Bowl.

“Whether you’re a coach or whether you’re a fan or whether you’re a player, the Rose Bowl holds a special place in a lot of people’s perspective,” Franklin said during a Rose Bowl teleconference.

“Obviously playing in that type of game on that type of stage and against an opponent like Utah, I think it helps. We expect that almost the entirety of our team will play and compete, but that is a challenge in general for college football right now.”

So far, corner Joey Porter Jr., has said he won’t play. Neither will the injured receiver Parker Washington. Otherwise, the roster appears to be intact beyond a few reserves who have entered the NCAA transfer portal.

In the past, Franklin has preferred to let players announce their intentions. So, he may not make any news on this front. But, he will be asked about it.

4. Will any players share their stay-or-go decision?

The list of players who will be available is full of candidates who could return for another year or move onto the pros and/or off-field ventures after the Rose Bowl. The group includes center Juice Scruggs, defensive ends Adisa Isaac and Nick Tarburton, linebacker Curtis Jacobs, kicker Jake Pinegar, tight end Brenton Strange, and offensive lineman Bryce Effner.

In past instances, players have not elected to use this forum to announce their future intentions. In all likelihood, the entirety of the group will wait until after the Rose Bowl to do so. However, all of them will be asked about it. And, it’s not out of the question that one or more could decide to reveal their intentions beyond the bowl game. That’s especially true with Scruggs, who has already accepted an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl in February. So. stay tuned.

5. Penn State coordinators will be asked about their future

Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich has not been at the same school for three seasons or more since his 2013-2018 stint at Oklahoma State. Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, meanwhile, undoubtedly has aspirations to be a head coach again one day. Are both planning to be back with the Lions in 2023?

Each is certainly going to field a question about their respective futures on Friday. Expect both to say their focus is on the Rose Bowl and closing out the Penn State Class of 2023. But, the coaching carousel will be spinning soon. And, this pair is good enough to draw interest elsewhere, at the very least.