College Football

Penn State, James Franklin Agree to 10-Year Extension

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Mike Lipinski
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Mike Lipinski Sports Editor

Mike Lipinski has been covering Philadelphia sports since 2005. Previous stops include Section 247 Sports, My MMA News, and more. He has been a part of the Sports Talk Philly team since 2019. He is the editor of Philadelphia Phillies content, co-editor for college football covering mainly the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and dabbling in all other sports. Follow him on social media channels -Twitter & Threads- @MLipinskiSports

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Sports Editor

Published23 Nov 2021

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By Michael Lipinski, Sports Talk Philly Contributor Penn State, James Franklin Agree to 10-Year Extension

In a surprise move, Penn State and head football coach James Franklin have reached an agreement on a 10-year contract extension worth a guaranteed $70 million.  Franklin, who recently switched agents, had been tied to the openings at LSU and USC in recent weeks.  The extension should quell those rumors, especially on the recruiting trail.

Franklin has been at Penn State since 2014 and has led the Nittany Lions six bowl games, including three NY6 bowl appearances, and a Big Ten Championship (2016).  He routinely has Penn State in the top ten recruiting classes according to 247Sports.  Franklin’s record as a head coach, including his time at Vanderbilt, is 91-48 overall and 5-4 in bowl games.


Franklin’s buyout is set at $12 million through April 1, 2022 and will fall to $8 million for the remainder of 2022.  The buyout drops to $6 million for 2023, to $2 million in 2024, and finally to $1 million in 2026 through the remainder of the deal. The Nittany Lions are locked into Franklin until 2024 at the earliest.