Friday night college football games in Big Ten about 'greed,' Penn State coach says

Penn State's first Friday night Big Ten game is gradually coming into view, and James Franklin is certainly no fan.

Nonetheless, the Nittany Lions will open league play this season on Sept. 21 at Illinois.

The Big Ten announced in 2016 that it would be expanding its programming reach by playing a handful of Friday night games each year. Penn State quickly pushed back, at least part way. It announced that it would not host a Friday night game in Beaver Stadium but would agree to play one Friday road game per year.

The Big Ten coaches have publicly voiced their disagreement with the league ruling for various reasons, including short preparation weeks and the infringement on Friday night high school football.

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Franklin said moving games, even if only a few per year, is about "greed" and voiced his displeasure during Wednesday's Big Ten coaches' spring football teleconference.

The Lions end spring practice with the April 21 Blue-White Game in Beaver Stadium.

"I'm old school from the standpoint, I think Thursday night, in small doses, is for college football. Not for the NFL," Franklin said. "Friday night is for high school football. Saturday is for college and Sunday is for the NFL. 

"That's been a great model for a long time and allowed each phase a day and a night to enjoy on their own. All of those complimented each well and supported each other.   

"Every level is greedy when it comes to getting as much exposure for their program to get eyes on TV sets ..."

Penn State's Friday night game in Champaign, Illinois, will be the program's first non-Saturday regular season game since the 2000 Kickoff Classic vs. USC in New Jersey. That game was Sunday afternoon.

The Lions were scheduled to play Virginia on a Thursday night in 2001, but the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks postponed all games. Theirs was re-scheduled for a Saturday at the end of the year.

This year, Penn State will play at home against Kent State on Sept. 15 before playing at Illinois six days later.

The potential bonus to this situation?

The Lions will have an additional day of preparation for Ohio State, which comes to Beaver Stadium on Sept. 29.

Still searching at tight end, middle linebacker

Franklin said his team is still looking for someone to take a hold of these positions as spring practice sessions end.

At tight end, the Lions are trying to replace All-America pass-catcher Mike Gesicki, a possible first-round NFL Draft choice. While Franklin talked up redshirt sophomore Danny Dalton earlier this spring, he backed off naming a leader on Wednesday.

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"We've got some guys we're excited about, but we're not in position to say, 'This is who the starter is ...,'" Franklin said.

The other tight end candidates are redshirt juniors Nick Bowers and Jonathan Holland and true freshmen Zack Kuntz and Pat Freiermuth, who won't arrive on campus until June.

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Things look just as cloudy at middle linebacker.

True freshman phenom Micah Parsons began the spring there but has since been shifted to outside linebacker. Redshirt freshman Ellis Brooks has been lauded by teammates since the end of last year, but he has other competition, as well.

Franklin mentioned walk-on Jan Johnson, 6-foot-5 junior Cam Brown and true freshmen Nick Tarburton and Jesse Luketa.

Saquon's unfinished business

Saquon Barkley apparently owned three main goals before leaving Penn State: 

Win a national title. Win the Heisman Trophy. And earn his undergraduate degree, according to Franklin.

None of those will be accomplished before Barkley leaves early for the NFL at the end of the month, possibly as the top pick in the draft.

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But Franklin did say he's sat down with his premier tailback to plan how "we are going to make sure" that degree is earned.

"I don't have any doubts in my mind or hesitations that he won't follow through with that," Franklin said. "I know how important it is to him and his family."

Barkley is majoring in journalism and said he is taking two online classes this semester. He projects earning his degree in 2020.