For a hot minute, it seemed James Franklin could have multiple tickets out of Happy Valley should he choose to take them. USC and Florida State were both reportedly interested in hiring Penn State's head coach, it seemed.
However, USC opted to retain Clay Helton and Florida State's opening appears earmarked for Memphis's Mike Norvell. Still, Penn State presented a sweetener to keep Franklin in State College and Franklin took it.
The university on Friday announced a new 6-year contract that keeps Franklin tied to the school through 2025. Terms will be announced at a later date.
"We are thrilled to have James as the head of our football program. We wanted to make a strong pledge to James and this program with this new contract," said AD Sandy Barbour. "James came to Penn State with a very clear vision and we have seen that grow and prosper. What he has done to bring success to our program, both on and off the field, has been nothing short of spectacular."
Franklin offered this statement:
Franklin stands at 55-23 through six seasons at Penn State. He led the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten championship in 2016 and, depending on how Sunday's CFP rankings shake out, he could be in line to take Penn State to its third New Year's Six game in four seasons with the opportunity to book its third AP Top 10 finish in as many years.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.