Penn State head coach James Franklin called for the NCAA to establish a leader of college football after expressing his frustration over the transfer window landing during the college football playoff.
Penn will host St. Mary’s University December 21 in the first round of the inaugural college playoff 12-team bracket but was crippled by an announcement that their backup quarterback Beau Pribula will enter the transfer portal at the same time.
Pribula has taken the lead role and performed wonderfully when filling in for usual starting QB Drew Allar. On Monday, however, Pribula had to take his chance with the transfer portal in order to land a No. 1 quarterback position at another school since Allar has declared he will return to Penn in 2025.
Coach Franklin sounded off during a recent press conference, asking, “Who is really running college football and making the best decisions for the student-athletes and for our sport as a whole?”
Franklin continued, “To have a transfer portal slash free agency going on right in the middle of the playoffs, it’s just there’s just a lot of things that don’t really make sense.”
Franklin said that it’s now “pretty obvious” that the NCAA needs a college football commissione and one who isn’t affected by conference finances.
“We need somebody running college football. We need somebody that is not biased based on a conference and that is out of the financial impacts of it as well. So you know, I’m concerned for college football right now in general, to be honest with you.”
Beau Pribula before the Big Ten Championship on December 7, 2024.Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
‘I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the student-athlete.’
Pribula shared his own concerns about the crossover of the playoffs and transfer portal, saying it “creates a challenge” for student-athletes.
“The overlapping CFB playoff and transfer portal timeline has forced me into an impossible decision,” he said, per CBS Sports.
Coach Franklin openly claimed that Pribula “did not want to leave” the Penn State program but was put in a “no-win” situation.
“I agree with him,” Franklin revealed. “I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the student-athlete. Beau should not be put in this position.”
The Penn coach signed a 10-year deal worth a guaranteed $85 million in 2021, Sports Illustrated reported. He then received more incentives once the college football playoff was established.
The transfer window opened on Dec. 9 and will close on Dec. 28.
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