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of 78.8 during that span has been bet- tered by only six teams: Clemson (94.6), Alabama (91.1), Ohio State (90.6), Okla- homa (86.8), Georgia (79.6) and Wis- consin (79.2). But Franklin's new contract does not simply amount to a large reward for put- ting winning teams on the 4eld. It also represents the continuation of a storyline that the coach has been discussing since the early days of his time at Penn State. That storyline involves the program's fa- cilities. Although highly successful and still relevant nationally, the Nittany Lions had fallen badly behind in their commit- ment to infrastructure. Franklin's well- documented push has helped produce $29 million in improvements to the Lasch Building, with another $69 million in fa- cilities upgrades planned and approved but still in need of funding. Money is, of course, a prerequisite to anything that is being envisioned, but it's only one of the forces that move the ball forward. Projects on the scale of those that Penn State is contemplating require a shared vision, with the football program, athletic administration and university leadership acting hand in hand. "Part of studying best practices is having an awareness of what these other football programs and athletic depart- ments are doing, as well as the univer- sity," Franklin told BWI last spring. "At the programs that we're competing with, there's total alignment with the board, the president, the AD, the head coach and the boosters. Everybody is re- ally working together. "I would hope that's what our six years have done – built credibility and built trust that we've got a guy as the head football coach who isn't a win-at-all- costs guy, who aligns with who we are culturally, and who we can trust that we can all work together to do what's best for the university, for the athletic de- partment, and the football program. That's what you hope over six years, that you've built enough trust and relation- ships with the people throughout the campus that they know where your heart is and what you're trying to do." What Franklin is trying to do now is to get the next phase of facility upgrades o5 the ground. That, he said, would help get the program "back to a very healthy place with our peers that we're competing with." There were no projects announced in conjunction with Franklin's extension, but it's likely that he received some level of assurance from the university. In the meantime, Franklin and his sta5 will be looking to continue on the trajec- tory they set during the past four years. The idea is not merely to repeat the suc- cess that has already been attained. A signi4cant investment by the university and the community at large to the foot- ball program is meant to be the founda- tion of an upward trend that climbs higher than what's already taken place. Last month, feeling the sting of a 28- 17 loss at Ohio State, Franklin was asked whether or not he grows frustrated at having to defend himself and his pro- gram while reminding its title-hungry fan base of the magnitude of the success the Nittany Lions have already achieved. He admitted that passion can be a mixed blessing. It's a necessary component in building the kind of following that can 4ll a 107,000-seat stadium, but it can lead to impatience when the program's lo6iest goals go unrealized. "It's a 4ne line, because I know where we want to be. I know where they want us to be," Franklin said. "If you look, I think the most telling statistic is consis- tency. And for us, if you look at us over the last four years, it's been pretty good." What hasn't been argued, but is prob- ably true nonetheless, is that the 2016 season was one in which a number of things fell into place for Penn State. Even during the 2019 regular season, in which the Lions went 2-2 in their 4nal four games a6er raising hopes with their fourth-place showing in the initial Col- lege Football Playo5 poll, one could eas- ily argue that more things went right than went wrong. Armed with a new contract and most likely some assurances that other aspects of the program's growth are going to be addressed in the years to come, Franklin is in a position to continue that work. ■ 111 E. Beaver Ave s State College, PA 16801 www.The-Phyrst.com 814.234.4406 137 Elmwood St. s State College, PA 16801 www.HappyValleyBeer.com Wood-fire Grill 12 Beers on Tap 200 Year Old Barn 821 Cricklewood Dr. s Toftrees, State College www.AmericanAleHouse.net 814.237.9701 s Piano Bar s Sommelier 814.238.1406 814.234.7700 s 1611 Atherton St. s State College 814.941.7788 s Plank Rd. Exit s Altoona www.ChampsSportsGrill.net s Best Game Bar s Large Groups Welcome c lc e W We s p u o r G e g r a L s a e B m a st G e B s S n S h 1 A 1 6 1 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 me co r a l l C S r G s rt o p S s p m a h C . www s t i x . E d k R n a l P s 8 8 7 7 1. 4 9 . 4 1 8 S s . t n S o t r e h t 1 A 1 6 1 s 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 t e n . l l i r na o o t l A e g e l l o C e at t S

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