“Weird a** move”: CFB fans react as James Franklin enjoys SEC baseball championship from Vanderbilt’s dugout

James Franklin led the Penn State Nittany Lions football team to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season. Penn State breezed through the regular season before suffering a 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the playoffs.

On Sunday, Franklin was spotted enjoying SEC baseball championship action from the Vanderbilt dugout.

This act elicited reactions from college football fans.

A fan said:

"With Clark Lea in the stands. Weird a** move"

The biggest surprise is that Vanderbilt football coach Clark Lea was in the stands. This raises some eyebrows, considering school ties and the importance of this matchup in Vanderbilt's sports calendar.

Another said:

”No way he leaves Penn state but that is really strange gotta be a reason behind this"

One said:

”He’s scouting that’s illegal"

However, some fans understood the situation more and came to Franklin's defence.

One fan said:

"He’s always said that he hated leaving Vanderbilt because they gave him a shot when no one else would. An elite institution called and he left. There is no hate between Penn and Vandy cause they’re mature about it. He still respects them and is appreciate of them."

One said:

"There is no hate here. He was at Vandy before Penn State. I hope Vandy wins."

Another said:

"Corbin and James have been long friends off the field and mostly out of the public eye."

James Franklin has a history with Vanderbilt. He was the Commodores' head coach from 2011 to 2013, leading the program to consecutive 9-4 seasons before taking over the head coach job at Penn State in 2014.

Franklin has a rapport with baseball coach Tim Corbin, who has remained with the program until now. Hence, it wasn't a surprise to see him in the dugout at the matchup.

What's next for James Franklin and Penn State?

Aside from catching up with old friends and watching baseball games, James Franklin is preparing for the 2025 college football season. The Nittany Lions want to go at least one better in the upcoming campaign.

The Nittany Lions lost just two games before the College Football Playoffs in 2024. Those games were against the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks. They eventually got eliminated from championship contention after losing a close one to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the semifinals stage.

The Nittany Lions start their quest for National Championship glory with a home game against the Nevada Wolf Pack. They round up the regular season with a matchup against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Notable fixtures in the 2025 regular season are games versus the Oregon Ducks, UCLA Bruins, Ohio State Buckeyes, Indiana Hoosiers and Nebraska Cornhuskers.