Who won the James Franklin-Penn State breakup? One year later, there are no winners

Penn State and Franklin each enjoyed hope, momentum and optimism after their split, only to arrive at similar disappointments a year into the divorce When Penn State decided to fire James Franklin on Oct. 12, 2025, it did so to send a message. After three straight losses to Big Ten opponents, a Nittany Lions squad that was seemingly set up for success had underperformed to the point that athletic director Pat Kraft wanted to step in and steer the football program in a new direction. It was an emotional decision to part ways with a coach in Franklin who had led Penn State to 104 wins and five top-10 finishes across a 12-year tenure.

But Kraft, in his press conference explaining the firing, said the move had to be made immediately in the best interest of the players on the team and the direction of the season. At the time, Penn State was 3-3 on the year. One year later, the breakup between Penn State and James Franklin has sent both parties on a wild ride, with each side, at different times, feeling they were indeed better off after the split. But the cruel twist of this particular week, the one-year anniversary, is that it finds both Penn State and James Franklin in eerily similar states of disappointment, with a