How Penn State and Boise State have adapted to change in the college football landscape

PHOENIX — In the second half of the Pop Tarts Bowl, Miami quarterback Cam Ward opted to sit out, as he’s expected to be a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. College football isn’t the same as it used to be.

As No. 6 Penn State prepares to face No. 3 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, both teams have lost their backup quarterbacks in Beau Pribula and Malachi Nelson to the transfer portal before the postseason.Each coach spoke about the changes of the game and how they’re adapting.

Throughout the year, Penn State coach James Franklin has pleaded for a commissioner of college football. He’s a traditionalist and isn’t a fan of the changes to the game. On Sunday, Franklin went in-depth on his recommendations.

“We need somebody that’s waking up every single morning and going to bed every single night thinking about what’s in the best interest of college football right now,” Franklin said. “I think Nick Saban would be the obvious choice.”

With NIL, transfer portal, and the importance of marketing, teams have come to accept that college football is a business. Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who has been through the ranks as a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach and various other ventures, is like-minded with Franklin.

» READ MORE: Linebacker Dom DeLuca is a ‘mini-Tyler Warren’ for the Penn State defense

He believes in playing players, but a collective bargaining agreement, like in the NFL, is the only way to manage moves like Ward’s and the aforementioned quarterback drama.

“You’re recruiting your own players every day,” Koetter said. “I think college football is headed down the wrong track.”

As teams aim to convince their players to stay, their coaching styles have to change.

Penn State associate and cornerbacks coach Terry Smith has been involved in the coaching scene since 1996, and said his players from 20 years ago would consider him “soft.”

“I’m not a screamer or yeller anymore,” Smith said. “I’m a better teacher today.”

Though some say the changes have been negative, Smith provides a positive spin. He said he’s learned to coach the individual instead of the group.

Part of Franklin’s aforementioned solution is putting the student athlete first, and as coaches develop, it’s helped them adjust to the new era of college ball.

It’s evident that players will make decisions in their best interest when it comes to NIL and other factors.

» READ MORE: Stacy Collins, formerly with Penn State, will lead Boise State’s special teams in the Fiesta Bowl

Penn State cornerback Jalen Kimber says that college football feels like the NFL minor leagues, and it has changed since the redshirt senior first started playing.

The mindset, however, has stayed the same.

“My ultimate goal is to get to where I want to go,” Kimber said.