Penn State denies report Adidas fueled James Franklin firing

After Penn State shocked the college football world by firing James Franklin on Sunday, a report emerged that Adidas was the driving force behind the Nittany Lions’ decision.

The school, however, is now publicly denying the claim.

“The report is patently false,” Penn State told Front Office Sports’ Dan Roberts. “This decision was made solely by Penn State. Adidas is not helping to pay the buyout for Coach Franklin.”

In response to the viral tweet Sunday that claimed Adidas drove the Franklin firing and paid for it, Adidas directed me to PSU; PSU said “The report is patently false. This decision was made solely by Penn State. Adidas is not helping to pay the buyout for Coach Franklin.” @FOS

— Daniel Roberts (@readDanwrite) October 13, 2025

Penn State’s denial comes in response to a report from WV Sports Now managing editor Mike Asti, who claimed that Adidas “drove” the firing and is paying “most of or all of the money” in Franklin’s $49 million contract buyout. Asti said the university reached out to him to dispute the report, which he still stands by.

Last month, the Nittany Lions athletic department officially announced that it will be making the move from Nike to Adidas in 2026, with the 10-year deal reportedly valued at $300 million. Asti’s initial report claimed that Adidas had already wanted Penn State to replace Franklin before the recent three-game losing streak that led to the end of his tenure in State College, with the losses to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern ultimately being enough for the school to oblige.

While it might be naïve to think that Adidas doesn’t already have any influence within the Nittany Lions program, there’s a big gap between making your voice heard and fueling a mid-season firing — especially one with a $49 million buyout attached to it. As for how Penn State is paying the buyout, AD Pat Kraft insisted at a press conference on Monday that it will solely be covered by the university’s athletic department.