PSU Coach James Franklin: Players Getting A Revenue Split Is 'Inevitable'

Penn State football coach James Franklin believes revenue sharing in college athletics is guaranteed to eventually happen.

There's long better chatter and discussions about players getting paid directly from schools or conferences, especially men's basketball and football. After all, football drives revenue in college athletics, men's basketball is next and from a money standpoint, nothing else really matters.

NIL currently allows players to cut deals for themselves, and it's a step towards enriching players. The next big move could be to cut players in on the actual revenue.

James Franklin believes you can bet the house it will eventually happen.

Is revenue sharing coming to college sports? (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)

James Franklin predicts revenue sharing is coming.

"I also think that ultimately, whether it’s in the next three years or next five years or next two years, there’s going to be some form of revenue sharing or collective bargaining agreement (with the players). That’s going to happen. I think that’s inevitable," the Penn State head coach told The Associated Press.

He also told the AP, "And I think most people would prefer that than the current model because I think it’s better for the student-athletes because they’re going to be able to get contracts and know what they’re signing up for. And I think for the schools as well, I think there’s going to be value in knowing what you’re dealing with."

James Franklin predicts revenue sharing is inevitable in college sports. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

There's a lot of money in major college sports.

Whether you agree with college athletes being paid directly by conferences or schools, nobody can deny there's a ton of money in major college athletes.

The Big Ten's new media deal will pay the conference more than $1 billion annually. It's believed every program will receive a revenue split around $100 million annually, according to The AP.

That's a ton of money, and it makes the Big Ten the richest conference in America. When a conference makes billions of dollars, it's not hard to understand why players might come calling for a little cut.

What would revenue sharing look like in college sports? (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

The biggest question is what a revenue split looks like. Is it figured out by each individual school? Does the conference figure it out? Could the NCAA make the decision?

Option three seems unlikely. That means it probably falls on the conference or schools involved. What if the Big Ten decides on a higher revenue split than the SEC? How quickly will that impact recruiting?

See, it doesn't take much for this to get very complicated.

James Franklin believes revenue sharing will eventually happen in college sports. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

If it does happen, it will be fascinating to see what revenue sharing looks like. For now, players will have to just stick with their NIL cash.