James Franklin praises player 'dialogue,' avoids discussing details

Penn State head coach James Franklin took to the podium at the 2022 Big Ten Football Media Days determined to talk football. So, for the first six minutes of his introductory remarks, Franklin did exactly that.

Addressing every area of the field ahead of the season, Franklin expressed his confidence in the program’s progress. Particularly praising depth at nearly every position, the totality of Penn State’s standing led him to note just how much he is looking forward to the start of preseason camp on Sunday.

Then he got to the point for which everyone has been waiting.

Just says after a report connected sixth-year quarterback Sean Clifford to an effort to unionizing Penn State’s players, one that was quickly walked back and corrected by Clifford himself, Franklin laid out his perspective on the matter at hand.

James Franklin’s take on unionization report

“One of the things I did want to address is obviously some of the reports that were made with Sean Clifford and the Big Ten improving athlete benefits,” Franklin said. “One of the things I’m proud of is the relationships that we have with our players at Penn State. It’s something that I truly believe in. And having these open discussions and dialogues with your players is important.

“Pat (Kraft) has got on campus and has jumped in with both feet. He has done a really good job in a very, very short period of time in developing those relationships. And to me, that’s the nature of college athletics and college football right now. You better be willing and able to have discussions that maybe we haven’t had in the past. There’s been more changes in college football over the last three years than probably the previous 25. Those are great discussions and dialogue. And I’m blessed and fortunate to have a team and an administration that’s willing to have these conversations.”

According to statements from Clifford and one released by the new Penn State athletic director, those discussions and dialogues had taken place in recent weeks.

Centering on exploring revenue sharing, independent medical care, and improved medical coverage extending beyond playing careers, Clifford said that those conversations with Franklin, Kraft, and Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren were about the “changing landscape of college sports and how those changes are, and will continue to, impact student-athletes.”

Pat Kraft’s comments

Meeting with the media immediately after Franklin’s podium appearance, Kraft offered his insights on the issues.

Commending Clifford for his engaging personality and the conversations they’ve had around the issues, Kraft said that the conversations and input from the stakeholders of the game are necessary and invited.

“When I was playing, you would never think to bring this up. So think about how far we’ve come that they’re just asking the questions. That’s what college is about, exploring who you are as a person,” Kraft said. “You have these older players that are really well-educated in this space and want to learn more about it. I think that’s what we really want to get to. And I believe this in my heart that at Penn State, we truly are this family that we have to work through it. We’re not always going to agree, but that’s okay.”

Crediting Warren for being willing to have the conversation with Clifford and others, Kraft added that new concerns and new challenges for college student-athletes should be addressed by administrative leaders.

“If you don’t listen to your key constituents, who are the people you work for, your student athletes, and understand… that’s how my organizations, I take great pride in that. ‘Hey, if you got a problem, you got to let me know. I’ll fix it.’ Whether you don’t have enough towels, or whether you question the medical piece of the future,” Kraft said. “And then educating them along the way of, ‘You do know this is how this works, right?’ It’s not what you may read in media reports, or what some people are telling you. If you have that open and honest dialogue.”

Next steps

Wrapping up his thoughts on the subject, Franklin insisted that the conversations have been about finding solutions that work to benefit a variety of stakeholders. But, beyond that, Franklin also noted that he would limit his comments regarding specifics. Instead, he wanted to focus his answers to the upcoming Penn State football season.

“At the end of the day, our players and specifically Sean, want what’s best for college athletics. They want what’s best for Penn State, they want what’s best for the Big Ten,” Franklin said. “So I couldn’t be more proud of them.

“But any of the details and specifics that we have dealt with, kind of behind the scenes within our family, within our organization, I’m not going to get into them today. And obviously, happy about moving forward and talking about our season and the upcoming opponents.