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James Franklin contract: What could the Penn State coach make if the Lions win a Big Ten title?

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•12/07/24•

GregPickel

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Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin at Beaver Stadium. (Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images)

Penn State coach James Franklin has guided his team to the Big Ten title game for the second time in 11 seasons and for the first time since it won the league crown in 2016. His Nittany Lions will face Oregon in the conference’s championship contest to conclude its first season as an 18-team league. Kickoff is at Saturday at 8:17 p.m. on CBS from Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium.

Franklin, 52, has already earned some extra cash thanks to the Lions simply reaching this point, according to the terms of his most recent contract, a 10-year deal that was agreed to in 2021 and went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022. However, it’s not completely clear how much. That’s because “The [Penn State Board of Trustees] Committee on Equity and Human Resources voted unanimously to revise the performance incentives section in Coach James Franklin’s contract” last Friday, a school spokesperson said.

The statement went on to say that: “The change accounts for the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP) format, which beginning this year includes one additional game compared to the previous four-team single elimination CFP format from 2014-2023.”

However, the update might also account for the way the Big Ten portion of his incentives are listed out, too. It should from a language perspective, at the very least. But, the school has not confirmed that. And, per USA Today, it apparently has no interest in doing so.

More: Which Penn State players are All-Big Ten picks, award winners, and who was snubbed?

Previously, Franklin received $100,000 for winning a division title but not making the championship game due to tiebreakers. But, the Big Ten did away with divisions this year. That would seemingly make that part of the bonuses null and void unless it was updated to say something to the effect of that he earns that if “Penn State Win/Ties for respective regular season title but through tiebreakers, does not participate in Big Ten Championship Game.” The Lions (11-1 did win this year’s tiebreaker over Indiana (11-1), of course. It did so thanks to the Lions’ opponents’ strength of schedule being better than the Hoosiers’.

Penn State has not yet released an updated terms sheet. It’s unclear if it will.

At any rate, the most recent public version from 2022 calls for Franklin to receive a $200,000 bonus for making the Big Ten title game. He would get an additional $350,000 if his team wins the contest, according to the aforementioned document. So, at the very least, at this point, based on publically available information, the Penn State coach has earned:

–$7 million base salary

–$1 million annual loan for life insurance

–$200,000 for making the Big Ten title game.

Again, he is due more money if the Lions win the conference crown. He is also on track to make an unknown amount of bonus money, due to the non-disclosure of the updated contract, once his team qualifies for the College Football Playoff on Sunday. That is a certainty, of course. And, he’s in line for a $500,000 retention bonus as long as he is still the Penn State head coach on Dec. 31 of this year. That is, of course, a guarantee as well.

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