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Six days after being fired as Penn State’s head coach, James Franklin made his first public comments on Saturday’s episode of College Gameday.

Appearing on the desk with the entire panel, led by host Rece Davis, Franklin said he was informed by Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft he was being fired about 30 minutes prior to the team’s scheduled practice on Oct. 12.

“That was it. It was that quick. I was in shock,” said Franklin.

Despite the abrupt nature of his firing after 12 seasons, Franklin was very complimentary toward Penn State while acknowledging how many people were impacted by the decision.

One thing Franklin did make clear is that he wants to coach again because he doesn’t “know anything else” and never had any hobbies to occupy his time.

Things shifted dramatically for Penn State in a 14-day period from Sept. 27 to Oct. 11. The Nittany Lions were 3-0 and ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll with Happy Valley hosting College GamedayÂleading up to their game against No. 6 Oregon on Sept. 27.

Oregon won a 30-24 double-overtime thriller on the road. It was a disappointing result for the Nittany Lions, but hardly one that suggested anything worth panicking about because the Ducks are a terrific team.

Things really started to go south the next week against a then-winless UCLA team that fired head coach Deshaun Foster after an 0-3 start. Penn State fell behind by 20 at halftime and failed to pull off the comeback in a 42-37 loss that knocked Franklin’s squad out of the AP Top 25.

The final straw that broke things for the Nittany Lions was a 22-21 home loss to Northwestern last week. They became the first FBS program in at least 30 years to lose back-to-back games as a 20-point favorite.

There were certainly extenuating circumstances that led to Penn State’s fall from grace. Quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending broken ankle in the fourth quarter against Northwestern.

Franklin’s overall resume is with Penn State is impressive. He went 104-45 in 12 seasons, tied for 11th in wins among all FBS programs during that span.

The primary issue, though, was Franklin’s struggles against top-tier teams. He had a 4-21 record against teams ranked in the AP top 10, including one win in 19 such matchups against Big Ten opponents.

Kraft cited that mark as one of the factors in the decision to make a coaching change.

Franklin absolutely deserves credit for putting Penn State back on the map after the wayward two-year run with Bill O’Brien as head coach. Franklin led the program to at least 10 wins six times in eight seasons from 2016 to ’24, matching its total over a 21-year period from 1994 to 2015.

The two parties were able to move on in a manner that was less than ideal for each side, but it at least gives them both time to plan out their next steps for the 2026 season.

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The desperation play failed. Celebration ensued for UCLA as the Bruins upset seventh-ranked Penn State 42-37 at the Rose Bowl.

The first word in my mind: Indescribable.

How could the Nittany Lions—a roster with a wealth of veteran experience, a program that fought to a double-overtime loss with Oregon last weekend—possibly fall to the worst power-conference team of 2025?

And then, the reality of this profession sunk in. It’s the literal responsibility of the media to transform what we watched into something you read.

I can assure you James Franklin wants no part of this right now.

Because, at this moment, Penn State—especially a frustrated fan base—wants little to do with Franklin.

Losing big games has become a trademark of his tenure in Happy Valley. The recent setback to Oregon dropped the Nittany Lions to 4-21 against Top 10 competition—a record that tumbles to 1-15 in Top 5 matchups.

For their supporters, it’s frustrating. It stinks. No way around that.

Simultaneously, the annoyance of those results can be dulled to some degree with Penn State’s annual competitiveness. The program has notched 10-plus wins in three straight years and reached the College Football Playoff semifinals last season. Not since 2021 had PSU lost to an unranked opponent.

That balance has prevented the 12th-year coach from sitting on a genuinely hot seat. The university knows the grass isn’t always greener.

But this one? Unfathomable. Almost unforgivable.

The spread settled near 24 points, no surprise given the reeling adversary. UCLA fired its head coach in mid-September after losses to Utah, UNLV and New Mexico, then the Bruins fell to Northwestern.

Sixty minutes later, Franklin could not survive that opponent. We can point to the cross-country flight for Penn State, a motivated underdog or whatever else. But there is simply no world in which this UCLA outfit does that to the Nittany Lions without a response in a now-decidedly Un-Happy Valley.

I’m not saying that means the university should make a change today. Franklin, whose buyout is around $50 million, will not be Lane Kiffin’d on the tarmac at LAX before the flight home.

But if Franklin cannot excel with this roster, will he ever?

Penn State sunk millions and millions of dollars into retaining top veterans, led by quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, edge-rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton and so on. The team lured standouts from the portal, such as wideout Trebor Pena and linebacker Amare Campbell. Franklin even swiped defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from Big Ten rival Penn State.

Everything was built around one obvious idea: Compete for a national title. Fall to Oregon, few worries. Lose to UCLA, though? It’s time to panic.

Forget a championship chase, the Nittany Lions might not make the CFP.

That would be an inexcusable outcome in 2025, given what Penn State invested. Avoiding that conclusion will require PSU to finish at least 9-3, which means defeating either No. 1 Ohio State or No. 8 Indiana. History isn’t in Franklin’s favor.

Plus, after losing to UCLA, how can we be confident in the Nittany Lions not imploding, say, at Iowa or against Nebraska?

Franklin will have the opportunity to silence the critics. The season is certainly on the verge of becoming a disaster, but Penn State isn’t officially there. Don’t publish the obituary just yet.

Keep it in the drafts, though.

Because if Penn State’s debacle turns into a nightmare, Franklin’s newfound hot seat might become untenable.

And on that day, we’ll know exactly how describe what happened.

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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Gavin McKenna admits he didnâ€t watch a lot of college hockey growing up in Western Canada.

But the projected 2026 NHL draftâ€s top prospect saw enough last season to know he wanted to play for Penn State.

McKenna met with reporters Monday for the first time since shocking the hockey world in July by announcing his departure from the Western Hockey League to commit to Guy Gadowskyâ€s Nittany Lions.

“Seeing what these guys did last year, making it to the Frozen Four, that was a big influence on me,†McKenna said. “I wanted to come to a winning team and I thought this was the spot.â€

The 17-year-old was already the main man for a winning program.

He finished second in the WHL with 129 points (41 goals, 88 assists) in 56 games last season and was the leagueâ€s player of the year. He led the Medicine Hat Tigers to the WHL championship and Memorial Cup finals.

In his three seasons for Medicine Hat, McKenna had 79 goals and 165 assists.

Now he aims to provide even more scoring and playmaking for the Nittany Lions who return their top six scorers from last seasonâ€s squad that fell a game short of playing for an NCAA title.

“Itâ€s continuing on where we left off and I think Gavin was really adamant about that when coming in and talking about the reasons why,†Gadowsky said. “Heâ€s here to enhance that, not change that.â€

McKenna is joined by new teammates Lev Katzin, Luke Misa and Shea Van Olm, and defencemen Jackson Smith and Nolan Collins who are among the nearly 325 CHL players who have committed to Division I college programs this year.

The NCAA lifted its ban on CHL players in November, paving the way for McKenna and other CHL players — previously considered professionals because they received stipends for living expenses — to defect to the NCAA ranks.

McKenna, living on his own for the first time nearly 3,500 miles from his home in Whitehorse in Canadaâ€s Yukon Territory, has already made a strong first impression on his coaches and teammates.

Gadowsky said McKenna, is a “chill, great hang†while team captain Dane Dowiak called him a normal guy who “just wants to win.â€

Theyâ€ve all been mesmerized by the wingerâ€s hockey IQ, speed and ability to think and react before defenders can get a bead on him.

“He does think the game differently,†Gadowsky said. “Heâ€s a different animal when it comes to that. Not only compared to any other freshman, compared to anybody.â€

But there are areas where the phenom will be tested, Gadowsky said.

Notably, McKenna goes from being one of the older players in the WHL where players as young as 15 can suit up, to one of the youngest in the NCAA ranks.

“Heâ€s going to be playing against guys eight years older that have been lifting weights in a very structured environment for a long time,†Gadowsky said. “Donâ€t forget, heâ€s 17 so there is going to be a transition process, there really is.â€

McKenna is counting on it.

“I think thereâ€s a lot less time and space,†McKenna said. “The guys are bigger, faster, older. Itâ€s not too different in terms of skill and stuff. Obviously both leagues are very skilled and guys can make plays, but in terms of speed and size, I think thatâ€s the biggest difference.â€

Listed at six-foot, 170 pounds, McKenna said he considered the length of the NCAA season a positive and negative when making his decision.

A negative because he loves the game and wants to play as much as possible. Even with a post-season run, Penn State played 40 games last year. McKenna skated in more than 60 games each of the last two seasons with Medicine Hat.

The positive? Heâ€ll have some time to develop physically for what comes after his time in Happy Valley.

“Iâ€m itching to play games,†McKenna said. “With that though, thatâ€s a reason I came here is because less games, more time in the gym. Iâ€m not a big guy, so I want to put on weight and that was part of the reason I came here.â€

Aiden Fink, the teamâ€s leading scorer last season with 23 goals and 30 assists, is looking forward to skating with McKenna and is ready for the extra attention on the program.

“Itâ€s going to be an exciting year for us, definitely,†Fink said.

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Saturday’s double-overtime loss against No. 6 Oregon was all too familiar for Penn State fans, and head coach James Franklin is shouldering the blame.

The No. 3 Nittany Lions fell 30-24 against the Ducks in front of a “White Out” crowd at Beaver Stadium, dropping Franklin’s record against AP top-10 opponents to 4-21 during his tenure, including 1-18 against top-10 Big Ten teams. He said after the game that the team’s struggles against elite squads fall on him.

“I get that narrative, and it’s really not a narrative — it’s factual. It’s the facts,” Franklin said, per ESPN’s Jake Trotter. “I try to look at the entire picture and what we’ve been able to do here. But at the end of the day, we got to find a way to win those games. I totally get it. And I take ownership. I take responsibility.”

According to Trotter, Franklin’s .160 winning percentage against AP top-10 teams while coaching Penn State “is tied for the third-worst record by a coach (minimum 25 games) at a single school since the poll era began in 1936.” Franklin added that he understands the growing frustration among the fans.

“We have a passionate fan base,” he said. “When we win, there’s nothing better. When we lose, there’s nothing worse. So I get it. I get the frustration that comes with a fan base that is invested and cares.”

Before losing in double overtime, the Nittany Lions nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback by storming back from a 17-3 deficit in the fourth quarter. Senior quarterback Drew Allar spearheaded back-to-back touchdown drives to force overtime, and the team scored a touchdown on the opening possession of the extra frame.

However, the Ducks answered back with a touchdown and another one on the first play of the second overtime, and Allar threw an interception on the ensuing play to seal the loss.

Allar, who is now 0-6 against AP top-6 opponents since becoming Penn State’s starting quarterback in 2023, echoed Franklin’s disappointment, but also expressed optimism for the remainder of the year.

“Obviously, it hurts,” Allar said. “We had our opportunities. … But it’s a long season ahead of us. We’re going to have more opportunities to fix this, and I’ll be the first one to go into the fire.”

Penn State will look to bounce back from its first loss of the season when it visits unranked UCLA next Saturday.

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Greg WyshynskiAug 29, 2025, 02:32 PM ETCloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.Penn State University’s Beaver Stadium will host its…

Potential 2026 first-overall pick Gavin McKenna will have an opportunity on the big stage in his first year of NCAA…

PRINCETON, N.J. – In a hard-fought heartbreaker, the Princeton men’s volleyball team fell 3-0 (20-25, 25-27, 19-25) to Penn State in the EIVA Championship final.

With the loss, the Tigers end the season with an EIVA regular season title and an overall record of 15-1.Â

Nyherowo Omene led the Tigers with 13 kills in the match. Henry Wedbush made 26 assists on the day, also adding one solo block and two block assists. Roan Alviar made nine digs.Â

For their efforts, Omene and Wedbush were named to the EIVA All-Tournament team.Â

How It Happened
Penn State got off to an early lead in set one, using a series of early runs to have a six-point advantage by 10-4. The Nittany Lions continued to maintain that lead, despite Princeton’s efforts to climb back as they brought themselves within two at 15-13 with a big block and an ace by Wedbush. However, Penn State would continue to outpace the Tigers offensively, and they took set one 25-20.

Looking to equalize, Princeton entered a close set two. The Tigers held onto an early narrow lead before Penn State tied the set at 11 and again at 14. It was then the Nittany Lions who would take the advantage, again a short-lived lead as Princeton equalized at 19. The two sides then entered a close race to set point. Omene made a late kill to tie the set at 25 to keep the Tigers’ hopes alive, but with the next two points going to Penn State, the Nittany Lions took the set 27-25.Â

In set three, Princeton was able to go point-for-point with Penn State until 4-4, when the Nittany Lions took off on a 6-0 run. Penn State was able to extend the lead to nine points by 19-10 as they continued to outpace Princeton. Despite a late surge from the Tigers, the Nittany Lions would end the set 25-19 and take the EIVA title with a 3-0 win.Â

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No. 1 Princeton vs. No. 3 Penn StateÂ
Saturday, April 26 | 5 p.m.
Live Stats | ESPN+
 
PRINCETON, N.J. –Seeking its fourth EIVA Championship title all-time, the no. 1 seeded Princeton men’s volleyball team will face no. 3 Penn State in the EIVA tournament final on Saturday. The first serve is set for 5 p.m. on the Tigers’ home court, Dillon Gym. 
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How They Got Here

• Princeton advances to the championship match after downing no. 4 George Mason, 3-1, on Thursday night in Dillon.
• Senior captains Nyherowo Omene and Henry Wedbush led the Tigers, with each setting new career-highs on the night as Omene tallied 28 kills and Wedbush made 52 assists.Â
• Omene hit 28-7-46 for .457, also adding three aces, six digs and two blocks.Â
• Mason Rice tallied 13 kills and five blocks, while Owen Mellon hit 12-3-23 for .391.Â
• Princeton claimed the EIVA regular season title last Friday with a 3-1 win over Penn State last Friday night on the road in Happy Valley.
• In the match, Ryan Vena led the Tigers defensively, making nine blocks including one solo in the match. Vena also tallied five kills for .333 hitting, two aces and two digs. For his efforts, Vena was named EIVA Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, the first weekly nod of his career.
• With the win last night, Princeton’s record improves to 15-10 on the season.Â

 
League Recognition

• The Tigers were strongly represented in the EIVA’s postseason awards, as announced on Tuesday.
• Wedbush was named the EIVA Player of the Year as the senior led Princeton this year, guiding them to one of the best defenses in the NCAA. The Tigers rank third nationally in blocks per set (2.58) and 13th in opponent hitting percentage (0.218).Â
• Wedbush made a team-high 759 assists for an average of 9.37 a set, which put him third in the league and 24th nationally.Â
• Sam Shweisky was named EIVA Coach of the Year. Shweisky, in his 16th year as Head Coach at Princeton, also received the honor in 2019 and 2010.
• Three Tigers were named to the First Team All-EIVA in Omene, Wedbush and Vena.Â
• Mason Rice was named to the Second Team All-EIVA, in his first year, while classmate Roan Alviar was named an All-EIVA Honorable Mention.Â

 
In the Rankings

• Princeton leads the EIVA in eight stat categories, among them hitting percentage (.281), points per set (15.48), and blocks (2.58/s).Â
• Nationally, the Tigers rank third in blocks, 13th in opponent hitting percentage (.221) and 23rd in hitting percentage.Â
• Omene currently leads the EIVA in four categories, including kills (4.40), aces (0.46), points per set (5.30) and hitting percentage (.334).Â
• Omene ranks third in the nation in points per set and fifth in kills per set.Â
• Wedbush ranks third in the EIVA and 24th nationally in assists per set with 9.54.
• Sophomore Tristan Whitfield currently ranks fourth in the EIVA in blocks per set with 0.96 and a total of 70 on the season, as the 2024 EIVA Freshman of the Year continues to be a defensive powerhouse for the Tigers.
• First-year Roan Alviar leads the Tigers and ranks fifth in the EIVA with 1.66 digs a set.

 
EIVA History

• Princeton is seeking its fourth title, also winning the EIVA Championship in 1998, 2019 and 2022.
• The Tigers’ 2022 title came from a 3-2 win over Penn State in University Park.Â
• This will mark Princeton’s eighth trip to the EIVA finals.Â
• The Tigers were picked to finish fourth in the EIVA preseason standings.Â
• Omene and Wedbush were named to the 2025 EIVA Players to Watch list. Both seniors were named to the All-EIVA First Team at the conclusion of last season.
• The Tigers are led by Sam Shweisky, who has coached the Tigers to 2 EIVA Championships and 6 EIVA Finals. Shweisky is in his 16th year as head coach of the Princeton men’s volleyball program, and he is assisted by Joe Norton in his second year.

 
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By: Ed Weaver  /  April 12, 2018  /  Photo: Ed Weaver

Senior Cheyenne Sherman announced on Monday, April 9 that she is continuing her volleyball career this coming fall at Penn State-Beaver.

Penn State-Beaver competes in the Penn State University Conference as part of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.

The Penn State-Beaver is a small campus with an enrollment of 1,000 students, which reminded Sherman of Wellsboro.

“I’ve been there a couple of times and really love the campus and the coach,” Sherman said. “It’s very small and you can see everything, which I like, like Wellsboro.”

In her last two years Sherman has compiled 235 kills, scored 293 points with 62 aces, 25 blocks, and 389 digs. From her outside hitter position she helped guide the Lady Hornets to a return to District IV Class AA finals after a dramatic 3-2 win over Wyalusing in the semi-finals.

Sherman was named a 2017-18 NTL Large School Division 1st Team All-Star, 2nd team Towanda Daily Review All-Region Volleyball team, and an Tioga Publishing Outstanding All-Star.

“Cheyenne is going to leave a big hole in our program,” said head coach Sharon Zuchowski. “She’s been a leader and works really hard and the other girls feed off of that. We’re going to miss that. I expect her to work hard for a starting position and for her to show them her work ethic. I’m looking forward to seeing her be very successful at Penn State-Beaver.”

WellsboroAthletics.com would like to congratulate Cheyenne on continuing her athletic career and thank her for all her hard work and dedication to the volleyball program.

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