By Jay Berry
Syracuse coach Fran Brown responded passionately to star wide receiver Trebor Pena, who entered the transfer portal this week after seeking more NIL money.
Pena, named team captain for the 2025 season, left the program to pursue a larger NIL money. Pena completed his redshirt senior season, recording 84 receptions, 941 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
During a discussion on WTLA-AM about Pena’s decision to leave his team to explore the portal, Brown criticized his young wide receiver for seeking a significant pay increase before the 2025 season. He emphasized that Syracuse is not in the practice of offering $2 million contracts.
“You gonna make $2 million at wide receiver? That’s the homie at Ohio State [Jeremiah Smith],” Brown said. “Ain’t nobody else making that money. I’m not giving no wide receiver $2 million in college. That ain’t me. I ain’t doing that unless they tell me we have a chance to have Travis Hunter come back to college. He can come here and play for us, then get some of my check.”
Brown Was Straightforward With Reaction
Fran Brown speaks on the current climate of college football after Syracuse WR Trebor Pena entered the transfer portal pic.twitter.com/O3ianng41z
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) April 17, 2025
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Brown didn’t specify what amount of money Pena was looking for, but he made a strong statement on his former WR asking for more than what he was worth.
“We paid him enough. He was going to get paid more. There were some numbers that were asked to me that I didn’t feel I would be able to do and move on,” Brown said in an interview with ESPN Syracuse. “I treated him right, did everything that was needed, and I just said, ‘Yo, you got to go.'”
Brown’s firm stance comes after the NIL drama surrounding former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who recently transferred to UCLA following a holdout with the Vols.
Regulation Needed
The current state of college football is marked by widespread frustration. While it’s easy to criticize the NCAA for not taking the initiative to establish regulations, we must also consider the influence of those advising the athletes, including parents and advisors. Many of these young players are receiving misguided advice.
Regardless of our opinions on the current state of college football, the sport has never been more popular.
After the national championship game, ESPN announced that the Ohio State–Notre Dame title matchup averaged 22.1 million viewers. It was the most-watched, non-NFL sporting event over the past year, but a 12 percent drop from the 25 million who tuned in for Michigan’s 34-13 victory over Washington in 2024.
Syracuse begins its season on Aug. 30 against Tennessee at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
