Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Pat Kraft announced Wednesday that a new James Franklin statue will be built where the old Joe Paterno statue was.

“Even though his tenure ended without a title, we still can’t thank him enough for rebuilding the brand and culture of Penn State football,” Kraft said.

In a press release, President Neeli Bendapudi added, “We love him. We, as a school and a program, would not be where we are today without James. I’ll never run out of good things to say about him.”

When new head coach Matt Campbell was asked about how he felt about the statue resurrection, he also had nothing but positive remarks: “I think James’s role here should not be forgotten, and he’s given me the keys to an amazing, historically great program. He’s a big reason why Penn State is back.”

The project is expected to finish around the end of July, Kraft said. The statue cost the university $2.5 million and will be funded with the new NIL Brand Deal with Adidas.

Franklin was fired on October 12th, 2025, after a three-game losing streak in the middle of the season. Franklin finished with a 104-45 overall record during his tenure, posting a 4-21 mark against Top-10 opponents. Many players, past and present in the program, took to social media to support Franklin and show their appreciation.

After the firing, interim head coach Terry Smith led the team to a bowl game, beating the odds by breaking a 6-game losing streak. The Nittany Lions went on to beat Clemson at the Pinstripe Bowl 22-10.

When Smith was asked about the statue, he said, “Man, I miss that guy. He was a great coach and an even better leader. I can’t wait to see what he does in Blacksburg.”

It’s safe to say that the new statue will be greeted by the Penn State community and fanbase with open arms, folks.