Penn State extends athletic director Pat Kraft through 2032, could heat up James Franklin’s seat

On Monday, the Penn State Board of Trustees unanimously approved an eight-year contract extension for athletic director Patrick Kraft. Kraft is now tied to the university through 2032 and will make a guaranteed $2.26 million per year with up to 350,000 in performance-based bonuses each year.

Kraft came to Penn State in 2022, leaving Boston College, and over his short time in Happy Valley, the athletic department has already produced six individual NCAA Champion athletes, and one NCAA Champion program, Penn State wrestling. 

Penn State’s most important athletic program hasn’t seen much change since Kraft’s arrival. In 2024, James Franklin is heading into his 11th year as the head coach of Penn State football and he has yet to take the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff. With just one Big Ten title over his 10-year tenure and only a single win over Ohio State, large factions of the fanbase have grown tired of 10-win seasons without a shot at the national championship. 

Now that Kraft has established himself in State College, has the job security of an eight-year extension, and has a $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium underway, he can afford to take more chances to push Penn State football forward. 

If Franklin performs in 2024 and carries the Nittany Lions into the 12-team CFP, then the point is likely moot. However, if Franklin stumbles in Week 1 against West Virginia or slides down the Big Ten totem pole with the arrival of UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington, then the conditions are right for Kraft to take a big swing. 

Penn State has placed its firm belief being Kraft as the steward of its athletic department. In many ways, he’s connected at the hip with Franklin who is under contract through 2031, but Kraft didn’t hire Franklin, and with the additional decision-making latitude that an eight-year and nearly $20 million contract extension affords, Nittany Lions fans will soon learn where his loyalties truly lie.