The former Penn State football coach will appear live for an exclusive, in-person interview on ‘College GameDay’ in Week 8, broadcasting from the University of Georgia on Saturday, Oct. 18. It will be his first public statement and appearance since his firing from the Nittany Lions on Sunday, Oct. 12.
The announcement was included in ESPN’s release of the Week 8 show rundown on Thursday, Oct. 16, and shared on social media by ESPN vice president of public relations Bill Hofheimer.
Franklin was fired by Penn State on Oct. 12 after the Nittany Lions sustained their third consecutive loss and second to an unranked opponent this season. Northwestern beat the Nittany Lions 22-21 the day prior to his firing, while UCLA defeated them 42-37 in Pasadena, California the week prior. Penn State entered the season ranked No. 3 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll and climbed as high as No. 2.
In 12 seasons in Happy Valley, Franklin went 104-45 overall, finishing tied for second in program history for most wins. However, he was 4-21 against top-10 ranked opponents, including a 30-24 double-overtime loss to No. 5 Oregon this season.
According to a financial term sheet he signed in 2022, which was obtained by the USA TODAY Network, Franklin is owed just under $50 million for being fired without cause.
‘Penn State owes an enormous amount of gratitude to Coach Franklin who rebuilt our football program into a national power, Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft said in a statement following Franklin’s firing. ‘… However, 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.’
‘College GameDay’ is set to start at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday from Myers Quad on Georgia’s campus.
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