Penn State was set to pay James Franklin a whole heck of a lot of money in the buyout of his contract after firing him on Oct. 12.

Franklin’s buyout owed him at least $49.7 million on paper, according to Front Office Sports . However, that amount could be much smaller after Franklin takes his next job because of a reported duty to mitigate clause in his contract.

Still, that number was jarring.

But it’s not particularly close to being the most expensive firing in college football history, and it’s even further down the list after another firing on Sunday.

Franklin, who signed a 10-year contract extension in 2021, ranks third among the largest buyouts for college head coaches. He was second at the time of his firing.

Texas A&M fired former coach Jimbo Fisher in 2023, triggering

See Full Page