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PAGE 9 October 2025
Penn State has made a change in the leadership of its football program. Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Patrick Kraft has announced that James Franklin is no longer with the Nittany Lions Program and that Associate Head Coach Terry Smith will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025 football season. Kraft will lead the national search for the next head coach. Franklin concludes his tenure in University Park after 11-plus seasons with an overall record of 104-45, tying him for the second-winningest coach in the history of Penn State football. “Penn State owes an enormous amount of gratitude to Coach Franklin who rebuilt our football program into a national power,” said Kraft. “He won a Big Ten Championship, led us to seven New Year’s Six bowl games and a College Football Playoff appearance last year. However, we hold our athletics programs to the highest of standards, and we believe this is the right moment for new leadership at the helm of our football program to advance us toward Big Ten and national championships.” Franklin has coached 18 All-American selections, 32 national major award winners or finalists and 59 NFL Draft picks at Penn State. In his first 14 years as a head coach at Penn State and Vanderbilt, Franklin mentored 116 players reaching the NFL ranks, including eight Penn State first-round draft picks. “I am grateful for all that Coach Franklin has done for Penn State football and the University over the past 11-plus years. We thank him for his dedication, and we extend our best wishes to him and his family as they move forward into their next chapter,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “Our commitment to excellence extends across every facet of our institution, including athletics, and I am looking forward with great anticipation to this exciting new chapter for the Nittany Lions as we continue to build on that standard." “Penn State Football is an integral part of our University and is an important part of the lives of our millions of fans, community members and alumni around the world,” said Kraft. “We have the best college football fans in America, a rich tradition of excellence, significant investments in our program, compete in the best conference in college sports and have a state-of-the-art renovated stadium on the horizon. I am confident in our future and in our ability to attract elite candidates to lead our program.” Franklin Fired From Penn State
Photos Courtesy of George Shipman
Crimson Celebrations
Two different celebrations took place during the University of Alabama's football game against Vanderbilt on October 4, 2025 at Bryant Denney Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Former Crimson Tide Head Football Coach Nick Saban was honored for his upcoming induction into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame. The official induction ceremony is set for December 9, 2025 in Las Vegas. The University also recognized and celebrated the 2024 Women's Cross Country program, which claimed the SEC Championship. The Alabama football team finished celebrating the afternoon with a 30-14 victory over the visiting Commodores. Former Alabama Star Sarah Ashlee Barker Joins Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball
Former University of Alabama women’s basketball guard and current Los Angeles Spark, Sarah Ashlee Barker, has signed with Athletes Unlimited (AU) Pro Basketball for the 2026 season. AU Pro Basketball will tip off its fifth championship season on Feb. 4, 2026, at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, TN, and will run until Feb. 28. The competition features a fast-paced, full-court, 5-on-5 format with an innovative scoring system where every player can lose or win points during each game. Sarah Ashlee Barker became Alabama’s 9th overall draft pick in program history after being selected by the Los Angeles Sparks as the 9th overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. She has competed in 34 of the Sparks’ 44 games during her rookie season and has started in seven starts Barker played for the Crimson Tide from 2022-25, becoming the program’s record holder for most points in a game (45) during UA’s NCAA Second Round game versus Maryland on March 24, 2025. She was also the fifth player in Alabama history to surpass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 250 assists while at The Capstone.
Former Alabama Women's Basketball Star Sarah Ashlee Barker. UA Photo
Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Douglas receiver Vernon Wayne Crenshaw III and Sardis defender Lamont Richardson battle for a pass during AHSAA football action on Friday, October 10, 2025. The visiting Eagles rallied in the second half, scoring 28 points, to defeat the Lions 35-21.
Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Albertville's Eguensley Cerant (#22) runs the football during the Aggies 2025 Homecoming game against Huntsville. The visiting Panthers defeated the Aggies 34-0.
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