James Franklin summer availability turns to NIL sparring session: Analysis

Admittedly, James Franklin was fired up. Meeting with the media Wednesday afternoon, the impact of name, image, and likeness rules on Penn State football was again a topic of conversation.

And Franklin, though still somewhat reserved in his comments, was willing to engage at a level previously unseen with the broader media. (Though he has spoken at length with BWI about the issue this summer, setting his vision for a Penn State NIL blueprint.)

So, by the time he was asked what he does to “recharge” in the summer months, having just sparred over what Penn State football needs, or doesn’t, in the NIL space, Franklin was ready to go. “Things like this get me juiced up and get me going,” he said. 

The impetus of Franklin’s back-and-forth Wednesday originated with a question about NIL, his comfort level with it, and whether or not it would be a positive for Penn State “in the long haul.”

From there, his stump speech began in earnest. A push in which Franklin has grown increasingly outspoken, initially dancing around the issue, then evolving to become more and more vocal about the necessity of a strong NIL infrastructure, the head coach removed all subtext to the new reality of college football. 

What James Franklin said about NIL

“There is no long haul,” Franklin said. “It needs to be now. It needs to be yesterday. College football has changed probably more in the last five years than maybe the previous 20. So, NIL is not ‘long haul.’

“We’ve got to do everything we possibly can to put Penn State in the best position for this season, then also protecting our own roster for the future, and then also putting ourselves in a position to be able to tell a story and show the incoming guys what we’re doing and how we’re taking care of our program and our current roster.”

Shortly thereafter, Franklin was also asked about comments being made elsewhere in the college football landscape. Asked if Penn State has a number in mind for NIL annually, Franklin responded simply.

“More than the numbers you’ve heard.”

Penn State’s NIL number

One number, though not referenced initially, was brought up soon after by another reporter. Asking specifically if the $13m in support needed annually at Ohio State for roster management, according to Buckeyes’ coach Ryan Day, was what it would take at Penn State, Franklin turned the table.

Reframing the conversation, Franklin returned to a theme he’s alluded to throughout his Penn State tenure. That is, his conversation is one about the very nature of competition.

“If we want to compete with the schools that you guys all write articles about us competing with, why wouldn’t our number be the same?” Franklin asked. “I guess, explain that. At some point, can we do this where we flip it around and I can ask questions?

“If School X has a number and we’re supposed to be competing with (them), why would our number be different?

“Send me a message on why our numbers would be different than the people we’re supposed to be competing with. Explain that to me.”

New AD Pat Kraft’s influence

To Franklin’s delight, one explanation he won’t need to get will come from new Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft.

Establishing that his conversations with Kraft have been good, a July 1 start date for the new AD just a few more weeks away, Franklin added an important caveat. Lightly contrasting his early experiences with Kraft against those at Penn State or even Vanderbilt, Franklin indicated that his perceptions are shared by his new boss. 

“I think the great thing that I’ve seen is I think we see college football similarly. I think we see college athletics similarly,” Franklin said. “A lot of times, whether it was at Vanderbilt or Penn State, where I was having conversations and trying to convince people on certain things, we don’t have that. We kind of see things alike. So, that’s been really helpful.”

For a NIL issue that isn’t subsiding and is, in fact, only going to be a bigger influence in college football moving forward, Franklin added that Kraft’s philosophy would be similarly important and aligned. 

James Franklin’s next steps

Still, the informal summer press conference quickly evolved from the mundane into a good-natured sparring session on NIL. And within it, Franklin’s perspective was distinct.

Insisting that Kraft will need to “hit the ground running” upon his full arrival, the message was clear. The environment is now being dictated by NIL and the national trends that surround it. And, Penn State’s overall success in the process will be in line with its level of participation in that ecosystem.

“If you’re selling your house, do you determine the number?” Franklin asked a reporter. “No, you don’t. You hope. The market determines the value of your house. And what one person may seem huge, another… the market determines it. So if the number is huge everywhere, then look.”

Eager to put Penn State in the middle of that conversation, James Franklin took another step toward establishing the mindset that will be needed for the program to compete moving forward.