BYU head coach Kalani Sitake was linked to Penn State football's head coach vacancy before Matt Campbell ultimately got the job.
Campbell's contract spans eight years and guarantees $70.5 million. He also was given $30 million in NIL and $17 million dedicated to hiring his staff. The news of Campbell leaving Iowa State and heading to Happy Valley broke on Dec. 6, 2025, just four days after the Nittany Lions missed out on Sitake.
In order to ensure Sitake stayed with the Cougars, they offered the head coach $9-9.5 million per year with a $10-15 million NIL fund. A $10 million deal per year with Penn State would've been a massive move for the program, one that wasn't guaranteed to pay off in the long run.
At the end of the day, Sitake passed on the Nittany Lions and stayed at BYU. Months later, on May 16, he spoke with On3 about what went into his decision to stay in Provo and how quickly he had to weigh his options.
“It got real quickly after people started to find out about it. The decision-making process had to happen almost overnight," Sitake shared. "Looking at what Penn State was doing and what they were trying to offer, I had to decide what I wanted and what I considered compensation for me, and what I was chasing.”
NEW: BYU head coach Kalani Sitake to @PeteNakos on his decision to turn down Penn State and stay in Provo:
— On3 (@On3) May 16, 2026
“It got real quickly after people started to find out about it. The decision-making process had to happen almost overnight. Looking at what Penn State was doing and what… pic.twitter.com/qBrZofJIfJ
Sitake has been a part of BYU's program since 2016, putting together an 84-45 overall record over the 10-year time frame. While compensation certainly matters, stability is another huge factor into such a major decision.
If he jumped ship, Sitake would enter a whole different area of college football in the Big Ten. Though Campbell was willing to make the jump from the Big 12 and restructure Penn State football, Sitake didn't see his fit in a new place that required him to leave behind what he's built in Provo.
“It was really hard for me to leave, especially knowing how much the fans appreciate me here,” Sitake said, as reported by Heavy. “Sometimes when you get caught up in business, you overlook the things that matter most.”
The Cougars were also on the cusp of making the College Football Playoff, which would have been their first CFP appearance. They ultimately finished on the bubble of the 12 teams alongside Notre Dame.
With a strong roster returning to BYU and bring on the brink of a playoff run, Sitake had more reasons to stay than Campbell did at the end of the day.
The probability of a massive NIL fund was also not weighing on Sitake's mind when coming to a decision. He shared that he doesn't want to build his program around being "the highest bidder," and while Campbell isn't one to throw NIL money around in replacement of developing players, it shows that the money truly never mattered to Sitake. Consistency and a bright future under his leadership did.
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