Beau Pribula gives perspective on emotional decision to leave Penn State

When Beau Pribula decided to transfer out of the Penn State football program last December, it sparked a broader national conversation about the sport’s calendar and its impact on student-athletes. The former Nittany Lion quarterback was adamant about his preference to remain in Happy Valley, at least through the end of the 2024 season.

Since then, Pribula has stayed largely quiet about his decision to leave the Nittany Lions. That changed this week when the new Missouri quarterback explained the entire backstory on the Next Up podcast with former Penn State tight end Adam Breneman.

“It all happened really fast because we just played in the Big Ten Championship versus Oregon, and there was zero thought about transferring. Like zero,” Pribula said. “I was like, I can’t wait to play in the playoffs. We got a home-seed playoff game in Beaver Stadium – it’s going to be awesome. I can’t wait.”

Pribula: Horrible timing forced transfer portal decision

After urging from his family, Pribula decided that he needed to explore the possibility of leaving Penn State in the days leading up to the Nittany Lions’ first-round College Football Playoff matchup against SMU.

“I was instantly pretty emotional. Like, I hadn’t thought about it at all and it’s kind of becoming a reality,” he explained. “And then I had to go to Coach Franklin. The first few meetings that we had, it was fine. Coach Franklin was so supportive. He was like, ‘Listen, I can reach out to these coaches for you. Any school that you’re interested in, I’ll reach out to them and I’ll tell them that he’s a great fit for you. He’s thinking about transferring but he wants to finish the playoffs first so he’s not going to officially enter the transfer portal.'”

Pribula ultimately entered the transfer portal on December 15. Although not the preferred outcome, the former Nittany Lion felt that the conflicting playoff, portal, and academic calendars forced his hand.

“But just thinking about it more, these spots are getting filled,” he said. “It’s quarterback, there’s only one quarterback on the field at a time. I need to find a good spot. I need to go on visits. It was rough. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, making that decision and leaving the team before the playoffs…Me and Coach Franklin were like, this season, realistically, is going to go into January. I don’t even know if I can enroll in a school before the season is over. It was just horrible timing.”

Pribula reflects on Penn State culture

Now at Missouri, Pribula is gearing up for his first starting opportunity at the college level. But despite what lies ahead, the York native says he’s already lived out a dream by donning the Blue and White.

“It was just an awesome place. Awesome program. The guys on those teams, we had an unbelievable culture. We were always together outside of football. Like I said, those guys will be my best friends for the rest of my life. Really just the relationships I built there and living out a childhood dream, scoring touchdowns for Penn State in big games. Wearing that uniform, really.”

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