James Franklin calls for college football commissioner with coaching, media experience

Through a wave of change across college sports, some have called for college football, specifically, to have a commissioner. Penn State coach James Franklin is among those voices.

Franklin detailed what he’d like to see in a potential college football commissioner during an appearance on SiriusXM College Sports Radio. He suggested someone with both coaching and media experience, arguing that would bring an ability to see the sport from a wide-angle lens.

SUBSCRIBE to the On3 NIL and Sports Business Newsletter

Based on conversations during in AFCA meetings during his career, Franklin said a commissioner would be someone who’d do what’s best for the sport. He also drew a political comparison to make his point.

“I think we need somebody in that position that has really good experience on the field coaching, maybe now in the media,” Franklin said. “Because the media offers some opportunities to get behind the scenes in other programs and be able to compare and contrast. So there’s a lot of value there. I do think a commissioner of college football would be good. … We used to sit in the AFCA meetings and you’d have a coach that one year, was in the SEC and had very strong opinions on what we should be doing for college football. And then, the next year, they’re in the Big 12 and have totally different opinions and we’re supposed to be doing what’s best for college football.

“It’s hard to do that, to take your hat off and say, ‘This is the best thing to do for college football,’ not for the program that you’re representing at the time. We see the same thing in politics in our country. People are voting in terms of what’s best for their state and not always necessarily what’s in the best [interest] of our country.”

Nick Saban: ‘I don’t want to be in that briar patch’

As some around the sport float the idea of a college football commissioner, former Alabama coach Nick Saban is one of the first names to come up. The legendary coach also has experience in the media as he enters his second season on ESPN’s College GameDay. Saban also won an Emmy for his performance in his debut year on the show.

However, speaking with AP last month, Saban shot down that idea. While he wants to play a role in settling the landscape if he can, he doesn’t want the job of being the sport’s “commissioner.”

“I don’t want to be in that briar patch of being a commissioner,” Saban told AP. “But I do want to do everything I can to make it right.”

While a commissioner is still not an actual position in college football, the sport has been at the forefront of the shifting landscape the last few years. Notably, post-House v. NCAA settlement, the College Sports Commission is in place as the new enforcement arm, specifically related to key terms such as the NIL Go clearinghouse and roster limits.