Jul 23, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Penn State head coach James Franklin speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Big Ten coach roasts conference for moving media days from midwest to Las Vegas

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Scott Salomon | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 2:51 PM ET

Penn State coach James Franklin does not like travelling to Las Vegas for Big Ten Media Days.

Franklin ripped conference executives for making Big Ten teams travel to Sin City to hold its media days. He wanted it to be in either Chicago or Indianapolis, just like it has been in recent years.

He said UCLA, USC, Washington and Oregon might find it convenient, but it's not for the rest of the conference.

Media days are set up primarily for the media. Franklin acknowledged many did not make the trip because of the costs involved.

“A lot of our beat writers did not come to this because they couldn’t afford to get out here,” he said, “The majority of our teams are near Chicago, where this used to always be. The majority of our teams are near Indianapolis, where this used to be, and it creates a different environment."

Penn State’s James Franklin not a fan of Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/oY6EuxWpME
— Mark Brennan (@MarkXBrennan) July 23, 2025

The event is for the fans as well. Franklin said the teams' fanbases do not get excited about going to Las Vegas for the same reason.

They are the ones getting hurt by having to foot the bill to go to Las Vegas where the days of cheap hotel rooms and food left with nickel slot machines are over.

The event is being held at Mandalay Bay, which is one of the most expensive hotels on the Las Vegas strip.

Penn State’s James Franklin not a fan of Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/oY6EuxWpME
— Mark Brennan (@MarkXBrennan) July 23, 2025

“I walk around the lobby. I don’t see any signage,” he said. “I don’t see anything for the Big Ten. I don’t see people getting autographs. It’s a different vibe, and it’s a different feeling."

Franklin thinks other conferences like the SEC have it done right.

“I think that other conference (the SEC), when they have their meetings, there’s essentially a press conference every single day at the end of the meetings,” he said. “It keeps people talking about that conference at (this) time of the year. It keeps them relevant. We are not doing that. We need to be talking about the Big Ten, our programs, the things we’ve done, and making it as accessible to everybody as we possibly can and connecting with the fans."

Franklin said he likes Las Vegas and they have the ability to show them a good time with the glitz and the glamour. But from a football standpoint, he would rather be back in Indianapolis.