Penn State amends James Franklin’s contract on cusp of first College Football Playoff appearance

Across his first 10 years at Penn State, under the old four-team College Football Playoff format, James Franklin was unable to get the Nittany Lions into the CFP. Now, in the first year of the 12-team CFP format in 2024, Franklin has his team ranked No. 4 in the country and likely one win away from qualifying for the 12-team playoff with an at-large bid. 

So, heading into Penn State’s Week 14 matchup against 4-7 Maryland, Penn State’s Board of Trustees Committee on Equity and Human Resources unanimously approved an amendment to Franklin’s contract, which he signed following the 2021 season, which ended with a Rose Bowl victory over Utah. 

While the university did not release official contract details, a Penn State Athletics spokesperson said the amendments were to the incentive structure for reaching the College Football Playoff in Franklin’s contract. 

“The Committee on Equity and Human Resources voted unanimously to revise the performance incentives section in coach Franklin’s contract,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Among the incentives in the 2021 extension, Franklin would receive $400,000 for reaching the four-team CFP. Now, the incentive structure will be changed to fit the structure of the new playoff. With the 12-team CFP, Penn State could play as many as four playoff games. 

Franklin could have been on the hot seat after the 2024 season if he missed the CFP again, even with eight additional spots. Now, the university is preparing for what appears to be an inevitable CFP appearance. Franklin is 8-2 against Maryland during his tenure at Penn State and just needs one more win over the Terrapins to finish this season 11-1.