Penn State Nittany Lions fired James Franklin following a string of poor performances, which saw the 22-21 loss to Northwestern Wildcats as the final nail in the coffin. Franklin cashed in $45 million due to early firing as Penn State appointed Terry Smith as head coach in the interim.
Now, one week after the dismissal, Franklin will appear behind the mic on ESPN’s College GameDay Show in Athens on Saturday for the Ole Miss-Georgia game.
Be sure to tune in tomorrow as James Franklin will join the set live in Athens for an exclusive interview. pic.twitter.com/ybdY8jyGAX
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 17, 2025
Fans started reacting to the post. One fan wrote:
“This just feels like espn begging for viewers lol.”
“this is kinda weird won’t lie” another fan added.
“I would keep him away from this, he struggles in big settings. Bring him on a Tuesday in studio where there’s less pressure,” another fan suggested.
“This is wild. Can you imagine getting fired from your job on Monday and having to do a Nationally televised interview on the following Saturday? Insane,” one fan wrote.
“Thank you coach Franklin for everything you’ve done for Penn State! I HOPE YOUR AUDITION GOES WELL!!!!!” one fan said.
“Didn’t take as long as I thought it would for them to find the next crazy old man to put a mascot head on each Saturday,” one fan commented.
The GameDay appearance gives Franklin a platform to present his side of the story.
Context Around Penn State’s Firing of James Franklin
After three straight losses against Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern, James Franklin’s tenure ended after 12 years. The Nittany Lions went from being the No. 2 ranked team in the preseasons to 3–3 overall and 0–3 in Big Ten play.
Athletic Director Pat Kraft cited the need for “new leadership.”
“We hold our athletics programs to the highest of standards, and we believe this is the right moment for new leadership at the helm of our football program to advance us toward Big Ten and national championships,” Kraft said.
Franklin’s appearance in Athens will mark the second time he will appear on the show this season. Earlier, on September 27, he joined the GameDay set from Penn State’s campus before a matchup with Oregon.
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