HARRISBURG- James Franklin is hitting the recruiting trail, but this time he’s looking to pick up key season ticket holders instead of recruits as Penn State’s annual PR tour kicked off on Tuesday in Harrisburg.
And in year two of the Coaches Caravan tour, everything is a little bit easier, because Franklin understands his audience even better.
“I think we’re still kind of going through that,” Franklin said of getting to know everyone. “We know Penn State better, we know the university, we know the community, our own players, so much better. I think the fact that our leadership is in place right now is very important, President Barron and our AD, Sandy Barbour; that all those people are in place now is great. I think overall, it’s still a process.”
For Franklin, the 12 stop tour is a chance to provide updates, to provide insight and to provide confidence for the biggest wallets in the fan base.
As for Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour, she’s still in the introductory stage. She’s learning what Penn State is all about and how the university’s supporters think and function. It might seem like a small thing, but it’s part of Barbour’s bigger mission to be active at the the most basic level of how the athletic program operates, what really makes the engine go: the fans.
“I think there’s so much good that comes from this and one of the things for me being new is my 12 months of first is to continue to get to know our fan base, our alumni, ones that really care deeply and passionately about Penn State and Penn State athletics.” Barbour said. “We get to know each other better, and that’s always a really, really good thing.”
From here Barbour and Franklin will travel to 11 more stops, from New York to New Jersey and to every corner of Pennsylvania. Along the way they’ll bring with them the most basic message, “be a part of what we’re building.”
That delivery, the face to face interactions and getting to know everyone — they’re banking on the fact that relationships will help build an athletic department everyone can be proud of. From coaches to players to fans, everyone who shows up on tour will get a handshake and a conversation.
“That’s always an on-going thing, and if I have any frustration in my first year, and I have very few, I haven’t had time to do all the things I’d like to do. I’d love to spend more time with every one of our student-athletes and coaches,” Barbour said.
An evening stop in Lancaster will kickoff the more of the substantial conversations. From the offense to recruiting, everything will be on the table.
But for now, it’s about a reintroduction and a chance to remind everyone what they’re all about.
“We get to know each other better,” Barbour said. “And that’s always a really, really good thing.”
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