OPINION: Keep the faith, Penn State football is closer to elite status than you may think

Penn State football is less than a week removed from another gut-check loss to Michigan. In the days since the 24-15 defeat, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions have been faced with many questions about this year’s team and the direction of the program. From the outside, Penn State football fans have had to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves if the emotional and financial buy-in is worth it, and if the Nittany Lions can truly ever go from “great to elite.” Reaching that status is an “everything” issue, and involves much more than NIL deals, coaching contracts, and recruiting rankings.

But I’m here to say that all is not lost. It may not seem like it now, but Penn State football is closer to breaking through that barrier than you may think.

A lesson from College Station to State College?

This past week, we saw Texas A&M fire Jimbo Fisher in the midst of his 6th season. The decision comes five years after Fisher signed a 10 year, $75 million contract when he was hired in 2018.

Texas A&M (which is a Land-Grant, National Public University, just like Penn State) found a way to fork up that kind of money. Why? Because the athletic department knows the power of economics, and (while not successful under Fisher) what an elite Texas A&M football program, could do not only for interest-in and revenue generation for its football program, but for the school at large. Success on the field can trickle down to freshmen class admissions, research funding, US News rankings, and general improvement for the public institution in the state of Texas.

Regardless of X’s and O’s, football knowledge, and resources, Fisher wasn’t able to repeat the national championship victory he had at Florida State in College Station. Unfortunately for Fisher, the now ex-Texas A&M coach wasn’t given the time to rebuild the Aggies program from top to bottom, like Jim Harbaugh has at Michigan or even James Franklin has at Penn State.

Texas A&M now sits at 6-4 this season, but still owes Fisher his full $75 million, regardless if he ever coaches another down in college football. Ultimately that is a shame, and an error that Penn State football should not look to replicate.

Penn State football is finally getting its financial buy-in

Penn State football finally got a similar level of financial commitment in 2021, when it extended and rewarded James Franklin with a 10 year, $64.67 million contract. Penn State then made two more slam-dunk hires, in Pat Kraft as Athletic Director, and Neeli Bendapudi as President.

Don’t believe me about correlation between football and university success for these big-time name brands? Coming off a Rose Bowl winning season, Penn State jumped up 17 spots in this year’s in US News rankings from a single year ago, going from No. 77 to No. 60. At its peak, Penn State was in the mid-to-high 30s for nationally.

When you stop and think about it, it’s pretty remarkable for a public university with approximately 40,000 undergraduate students each year to reach this level of status. Of course, we all know it was Joe Paterno, with his pleated pants, funny-looking glasses, and decades of on-field success that helped to raise to status of Penn State as an institution.

For what it’s worth, Texas A&M increased its ranking even more substantially than Penn State year-over-year, increasing 20 spots up to 47 from 67 in 2022. But, it should be noted that Texas A&M also has the larges student population of any school in the United States. The correlation between high-profile football programs and the academic standing among universities is distinct.

The next step is still attainable

Penn State football is now 8-2, with its two losses coming against two, elite programs. Michigan is a revitalized power, while Ohio State has, really, always been one (I cringed typing that).

Penn State football is so close, it’s remarkable. Nobody wants to hear that. But days removed from yet another gut-wrenching loss with Playoff hopes in the line, the truth still prevails.

Next year, Penn State football only plays one of those truly elite programs, and the College Football Playoff is expanding to 12-teams. Guess what else? That one elite program the Nittany Lions do play, Ohio State, is losing its generational, potential first-overall NFL Draft pick Marvin Harrison Jr., and the game will be played in Beaver Stadium.

Now, with that understood and these clear financial and interest commitments from the Board of Trustees, alumni, students, fans, and lettermen (wow, almost sounds like an actual James Franklin tweet, maybe he has been hinting at something all along), the Nittany Lions are as close, and ready to break through to that elite tier.

It may not seem true, but from a financial standpoint, I promise you that status is closer than you think. But now, the next question is, can James Franklin and Penn State football achieve that success from an on-field standpoint?

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