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The numbers behind Penn State’s campus closures | Penn State, State College News

7 Commonwealth campuses are slated to close by spring 2027 following a 25-8 vote from Penn State’s Board of Trustees. The closures, while controversial, reflect a broader set of data trends signaling deep structural challenges within the university’s regional system. The decision targets DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York — locations […]

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7 Commonwealth campuses are slated to close by spring 2027 following a 25-8 vote from Penn State’s Board of Trustees. The closures, while controversial, reflect a broader set of data trends signaling deep structural challenges within the university’s regional system.

The decision targets DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York — locations that face significant enrollment declines, mounting financial deficits and costly infrastructure demands , according to the 143-page internal recommendation report.

Meanwhile, five other campuses initially proposed to close — Beaver, Greater Allegheny, Hazleton, Schuylkill and Scranton — will remain open with increased support.

The decision between staying open and closing came down to a combination of factors.

Enrollment decline and student outcomes

Across the 12 campuses under review, enrollment dropped 35% over the past decade. 7 of the 12 currently enroll fewer than 500 students.

Enrollment for the eight Commonwealth campuses that were initially marked safe — Abington, Altoona, Behrend, Berks, Brandywine, Harrisburg and Lehigh Valley and Great Valley — has dropped 22%.

At 10 of the campuses, more than 20% of classes have fewer than seven students enrolled, a figure that suggests unsustainable class sizes and poor economies of scale.

Graduation outcomes offer another lens through which Penn State assessed the viability of its regional campuses. Penn State Shenango, for example, has the lowest graduation rates among the campuses that were under review, with only 25.7% of students completing their degree within four years and 47.7% within six. Other campuses recommended for closure also show low rates. Wilkes-Barre stands out with a 69.9% six-year rate, but still has 42% of students graduating in four.

While these numbers aren’t the sole basis for closure, the report emphasizes the risk posed by high stop-out rates. At campuses like Fayette and DuBois, more than 30% of students leave without ever earning a degree. The disparity in student outcomes, particularly when paired with small enrollments and limited resources, raised serious concerns about whether these campuses could sustainably support students through graduation.

Demand vs. distribution

Though the closures affect only a small share of Penn State’s total enrollment, the contrast with university-wide demand, for some trustees, is striking and deeply frustrating.

In summer and fall 2023, Penn State received 128,201 first-year applications across all campuses. Of those, 16,239 enrolled, including 9,040 at University Park. That same year, 15,735 international students applied, but just 1,180 enrolled — with 651 at University Park alone.

At the Board of Trustees meeting on May 12, members repeatedly pointed to this gap between interest and access. Trustee Ted Brown argued that while students are eager to attend Penn State, the university isn’t successfully routing and matching them to where there is space.

Meanwhile, the seven campuses now slated for closure collectively enroll just 3.6% of Penn State’s student body, making them difficult to sustain in light of low demand and high overhead. According to the report, the campuses also employ 3.4% of Penn state faculty and 2.2% of its staff.

Demographic and regional decline

Most of the shuttered locations are situated in rural countries — regions already grappling with decades-long economic decline and now facing steep population losses. According to the report, 41 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties are projected to shrink by 2025, with rural counties expected to lose 5.8% of their total population.

Equally critical to campus viability is the sharp decline in the college-aged population. The number of residents aged 19 and under is projected to fall by 6.8% statewide by 2050, with sharper drops in already-depopulated regions.

Since Penn State’s Commonwealth campuses primarily serve local populations, demographic shifts translate almost immediately into enrollment losses. For example, at some campuses, up to 70% of students come from the home county, meaning even small declines in local high school graduates can significantly erode the applicant pool.

Some counties are facing extreme declines. Clearfield County, home to Penn State DuBois, is projected to lose nearly 10% of its youth population by 2050. Elk County, another key feeder region, is expected to see a 14.3% drop.

The data suggests not just a temporary dip, but a long-term structural challenge. For campuses without on-campus housing or broader regional draw, like Shenango and DuBois, the impact of these demographic shifts is even more acute.

Some of the campuses slated for closure serve noteworthy proportions of Pell Grant recipients, underrepresented minorities and first-generation students.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre, for example, 39% of students receive Pell Grants, 18% identify as underrepresented minorities and 44% are first-generation college students.

Similar trends appear at other campuses recommended for closure — such as Fayette, Shenango and York — where 38% of the student body are first-generation and over 30% receive Pell support, raising concerns about equity and access.

Big costs, bigger changes

Ultimately, the closures reflect a broader shift in Pennsylvania’s population map — one that increasingly favors urban and suburban regions over the rural communities that once sustained these local campuses.

The 12 campuses marked for closure account for $29 million in annual losses, a figure that balloons to $70 million when factoring in shared university overhead. The report also notes a combined $333 million in deferred maintenance, like updating facilities, across those campuses — costs Penn State would eventually need to cover if the campuses remained open.

The closures, according to Bendapudi, are part of a broader strategy to reallocate limited resources toward strong, more sustainable regional hubs — campuses with the capacity, location and enrollment momentum to serve students more effectively over the long term.

It’s a move she said was grounded in data, guided by institutional values and shaped by months of public feedback and deliberation.

Still, the emotional weight of the decision was palpable. Ahead of the vote, the Board of Trustees received 154 public comments, many of which argued that closing campuses in rural or underserved areas would undermine Penn State’s land-grant mission to provide accessible education statewide.

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COUNTERPOINT: Unhappy with tips jobs? Get another job

The other night, after the House passed the “Big Beautiful Bill of Goods” (BBBOG), I went out to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia. I know the people there; they are friendly, hardworking, and they allow me to speak Italian with them. It is a place where I can forget that […]

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The other night, after the House passed the “Big Beautiful Bill of Goods” (BBBOG), I went out to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia. I know the people there; they are friendly, hardworking, and they allow me to speak Italian with them. It is a place where I can forget that I am in a city where some of the trash is piling up on street corners (the garbage collectors are on strike), and some people are marching through those streets yelling about genocide. This restaurant is my Italian home away from home.

After enjoying my Carciofi fritti and tagliatelle alla panna, all washed down with an Aperol Spritz, I was faced with an existential crisis. Pondering the check, which was quite reasonable, I had to decide whether to leave the 40 percent that I always tip at this restaurant I love, or cling to my principles and do what I said I would do on Facebook: leave nothing more than a 10% token.

I made this vow of gratuity poverty after reading about the “no tax on tips” provision in the BBBOG. This, among many other aspects of the egregious mess that Congress passed, was one of the things that angered me the most. Why give special treatment to money you earn from tips, as opposed to all the other ways hard-working Americans pay the bills?

Enough about food industry workers making their living on tips because they earn so little in their regular paychecks. Enough about how they work so hard to make sure that we all enjoy magnificent dining experiences (yeah, right.)

I’ve heard these arguments repeatedly. My response comes from my “Blink and you will miss it” foray into the food-service industry.

I worked at a fast-food restaurant, which is even more grueling than working in a trendy bar or a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Oh — and no tips.

Turns out you don’t get a gratuity after waiving “Happy Trails” to a cranky customer who just told you to do something anatomically impossible to yourself. So please, excuse me if I don’t have much empathy for those who say they shouldn’t have to pay taxes on their income.

Tips are income, period. And that income averages $25 an hour for wait staff at full-service restaurants, according to the payroll company ADP. At upscale restaurants, $50 an hour is not uncommon.

The solution for people who aren’t happy with what they’re earning from tips: Get another job.

Maybe teach in a Catholic school, where they don’t get tips and their entire paltry income is taxed. Maybe become a trash collector where the conditions of your employment are likely far worse than a job serving up platters of pasta. Perhaps become a healthcare worker and empty bedpans, with no tips, for minimum wage.

Whatever you do, though, do not try to convince me that your tips should get a subsidy from fellow taxpayers.

In case you missed it, yes — I am outraged by Congress approving one of President Donald Trump’s most pandering campaign promises. I doubt this put him over the top last November, but I do remember him out on the campaign trail talking like some 21st-century Emma Goldman about the value of the proletariat, and how they needed a break from the establishment.

Giving one group of people a special tax break, whether or not they need or deserve it, is an insult to the other hardworking Americans who show up every day, do their jobs, and rarely get so much as a “thank you,” much less a 20% tip.

I suppose I now have to learn how to cook.

Christine Flowers is an immigration lawyer in Philadelphia. She wrote this for InsideSources.com.



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University Park Townes in State College | Penn State, State College News

Inch & Co. Construction, in partnership with Cascade Capital, announced a new townhome development project, University Park Townes, and planned to break ground this upcoming September in State College. Just eight minutes north of Beaver Stadium, High Tech Road will highlight this $47 million project just steps away from the State College Regional Airport. For […]

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Inch & Co. Construction, in partnership with Cascade Capital, announced a new townhome development project, University Park Townes, and planned to break ground this upcoming September in State College.

Just eight minutes north of Beaver Stadium, High Tech Road will highlight this $47 million project just steps away from the State College Regional Airport.

For a short-term or long-term stay in Happy Valley, this property has you covered.

Brandy Meyer said she believes the development approach is a timely response to the concurrent changes in the housing market.

“At Inch & Co., we view build-to-rent as a strategic answer to shifting housing trends and renter preferences,” Meyer, Inch & Co.’s Head of Capital Markets, said. “It’s a model designed to deliver both stable long-term leases and premium short-term income, fueled by Penn State and local employment demand.”

University Park Townes is a 15.7 acre community that will feature 17 buildings with 146 three-story townhomes.







University Park Townes, similar kitchen

Similar Inch & Co. townhome, Emerson Flats, in York, Pa.




The townhomes will offer 1,478 square feet across three bedrooms, and 3.5 bathrooms with rent averaging around $2,300 per month.

In addition, 40 to 73 short-term rental units with two bedrooms and 1.5 baths covering 830 square feet will have open doors to visiting alumni and weekend football fans.

Former Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula expressed his connection with the founders of Inch & Co.

“I love Johnny and Jeff Inch, (and) they’ve been in my corner since high school,” Beau said. “I’d always ask them questions about their business and naturally had an interest in real estate.”

What began as two separate landscaping businesses combined in 2012, when brothers Johnny and Jeff Inch merged their operations to launch Inch & Co., a vertically integrated real estate firm based in York, Pennsylvania.







University Park Townes, rendering

Rendering of townhome for University Park Townes. 




With their early support for Penn State football’s NIL program and ongoing collaboration with the university’s alumni, the development is as much about giving back as it is about building forward for the Inch brothers.

Reflecting on that point, Beau added his thoughts on the construction as an investor.

“I’m in a position now where investing is a must,” Beau said. “I’m an LP (limited partner) in a couple of deals already with Inch, and a townhome project in State College seems to make a lot of sense.”

Joining him on the investment side is fellow Penn State alum and former tight end Adam Breneman, who has also partnered with Inch & Co. on other projects.

The development’s capital formation is being managed by Cascade Capital and Breneman Media, with property management led by Inch & Co. Property Management.

While the company has earned its reputation developing multi-family properties in York and surrounding counties, Inch & Co. recently announced plans to expand into emerging markets in North Carolina and Ohio.







University Park Townes, similar kitchen 2

Similar Inch & Co. townhome, Emerson Flats, in York, Pa.




However, State College remains a sentimental favorite.

Cade Pribula, Beau’s brother and investor of University Park Townes, expressed his expectations for the soon-to-begin development.

“Everyone at Cascade Capital and Inch & Co. is excited about the University Park Townes development in State College,” Cade said. “A lot of employees, stakeholders and partners have PSU ties, and will use this as an excuse to get up to State College a couple more times a year.”

For fans of Penn State football, real estate or both, University Park Townes represents an opportunity to be part of something that blends investing with true Nittany pride.

For Johnny and Jeff Inch, it’s another chance to build a community in their favorite backyard.

The development is now open to accredited investors with a minimum investment of $100,000. The project is targeting a 20% internal rate of return and a 2.5x equity multiple.

Those interested in investing may contact bmeyer@inchandco.com for more information.

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Column | A summer sport: Running into people from high school | Columns | Opinion

There are certain things you expect when you come home for the summer: overpacked drawers in your childhood room, questions from relatives about your major and, like clockwork, running into people from high school everywhere you go. This summer, I’ve been working at the local community center. It’s a good gig: scan some IDs, give […]

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There are certain things you expect when you come home for the summer: overpacked drawers in your childhood room, questions from relatives about your major and, like clockwork, running into people from high school everywhere you go.

This summer, I’ve been working at the local community center. It’s a good gig: scan some IDs, give some tours and occasionally point to where the water fountain is. But what I didn’t expect was just how much of a social rewind it would become.

Every week, like some kind of low-stakes ritual, the same four guys from my high school show up to play basketball. Without fail, they come through the doors, gym bags slung over their shoulders, looking like they never left senior year behind. They aren’t bad guys, just the types who always seemed like they had something to prove.

Back in school, they were loud, semi-athletic and kind of everywhere. Not people I hung out with, not people I had real problems with either. Just … those guys. The ones you remember mostly because they were hard to ignore.

Now they stroll in like they own the place. One of them always tosses a comment my way, usually something like “still working hard, huh?” with a smirk that suggests he thinks this job is somehow a punchline. I smile, say “yep,” and scan him in, even though I already know all of their names by now.

They head to the gym, where I can hear the squeak of their sneakers and occasional shouts of “foul” echoing through the halls like it’s the state finals.

Weirdly, these guys have become part of the rhythm of my summer. It’s not that I dislike them, it’s just that running into them every week reminds me how much has changed for me and how much hasn’t for some people.

In college, everything feels new. You’re surrounded by people who don’t know your past, who meet you as you are now. Back home, there’s this weird weight of familiarity, like you’re being slotted back into an old version of yourself, whether or not it still fits.

It’s not just them. A couple of my coworkers are from my graduating class and a few are younger. People I remember seeing around school when I was a junior or senior.

It’s strange working with someone who once sat a few rows behind you in math class and now you’re swapping shifts and gossiping about weird gym patrons like you’ve been friends the whole time.

There’s an unspoken rule when you run into someone from high school: pretend it’s not weird. You both recognize each other, maybe say a casual “hey” and go about your day. It’s like a social muscle you haven’t used in a while, polite nods, vague smiles and lots of mutual pretending that the past doesn’t sit between you.

I have to admit, as much as I internally roll my eyes when I see those four guys checking in again, there’s something oddly comforting about it, too. They’re consistent. They show up. They still have that energy, that chemistry, like they never skipped a beat.

While I’m not trying to relive my high school days, something is grounding about seeing familiar faces doing something they love — even if I wouldn’t choose to join them.

Maybe that’s just part of being home. It’s a weird in-between space. You’re not the person you were in high school, but you’re not quite fully formed either.

So you navigate this strange middle ground, bumping into people who knew you when you were figuring it all out. Some are doing the same things and some have changed in ways you don’t expect.

Either way, running into people from high school is its own kind of summer tradition. It’s not always pleasant, but it’s part of the landscape — like sunburns, late-night fast food runs and trying to remember your Wi-Fi password at home.

My shift ends, the guys head out with sweaty shirts and inside jokes and I get ready to do it again next time. Because like the heat and the mosquitoes, some things about summer never change.

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The SEC and Big Ten are currently at a standstill over the College Football Playoff format

ATLANTA (AP) — Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday that despite frequent conversations with Big Ten counterpart Tony Petitti, the two leagues have yet to agree on the College Football Playoff format after this coming season and could leave it at 12 teams. The disagreement doesn’t stem from a lack of communication. Sankey […]

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ATLANTA (AP) — Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday that despite frequent conversations with Big Ten counterpart Tony Petitti, the two leagues have yet to agree on the College Football Playoff format after this coming season and could leave it at 12 teams.

The disagreement doesn’t stem from a lack of communication. Sankey said he spoke with Petitti four times last week.

“We had a different view coming out of Destin around the notion of allocations,” Sankey said. “The Big Ten has a different view. That’s fine. We have a 12-team playoff, five conference champions. That could stay if we can’t agree.”

The Big Ten, which has won the last two national championships, favors a 4-4-2-2-1 format, giving four automatic bids to the SEC and Big Ten and awarding the ACC and Big 12 two bids apiece. The SEC, originally thought to be on the same page, switched gears at its spring meetings in Destin, Florida. The SEC favors five conference champions and 11 at-large bids, which would presumably favor the top conferences most seasons.

The CFP announced in May that teams in the upcoming playoff will be seeded strictly on where they are ranked instead of moving pieces around to reward conference champions. Last season’s jumbled bracket, the first with 12 teams, gave byes to Big 12 champion Arizona State and Mountain West champion Boise State, even though they were ranked 12th and ninth, respectively, by the playoff selection committee.

That system made the rankings and the seedings in the tournament two different things. The five highest-ranked conference champions will still be guaranteed spots in the playoff.

While the CFP contract from 2026 through the 2031 season requires the SEC and Big Ten to consult other leagues about prospective changes to the playoff system, it also provides them with the ability to impose changes they both want.

Now it’s a matter of getting on the same page.

“I think there’s this notion that there has to be this magic moment and something has to happen with expansion and it has to be forced — no,” Sankey said. “When you’re given authority, you want to be responsible in using that authority. I think both of us are prepared to do so. The upfront responsibility in this, maybe where some of the confusion lies, is we have the ability to present a format or format ideas, gather information, see if we can all agree within that room. We don’t need unanimity.”

Sankey stands firm on the 8-game schedule

One of the major complications in the College Football Playoff conversation is the SEC’s schedule. Three of the four power conferences play nine league games. The SEC isn’t one of them.

Sankey isn’t denying the fact that the SEC plays one less league game, but he won’t allow the narrative that it gives his conference an advantage.

“It is absolutely fully 100 percent correct that in the SEC, we play eight conference games while some others play nine conference games — never been a secret,” Sankey said. “It’s also correct that last season, all 16 members of the Southeastern Conference played at least nine games against what you would label ‘power opponents.’”

He doubled down.

“I don’t believe there’s anyone looking to swap their conference schedule and its opponents with the opponents played by SEC conference teams in our conference schedule, be it eight or nine.”

A decision on adding a ninth game may be coming soon, but Sankey wasn’t overly eager to reveal a timeline.

“It won’t linger terribly much longer. We have to make decisions about the ’26 season and adjust. If we’re going to go to nine games, then there have to be games moved or rescheduled. If we stay at eight, probably a little easier on that part of the logistics.”

Adapting to the new normal

Sankey addressed the media-packed room two weeks after the NCAA settlement officially went into effect, launching a long list of changes, including the introduction of revenue sharing.

Most Power Four institutions have had carefully crafted post-settlement plans in store for months. But according to Sankey, even deep-pocketed, well-resourced conferences have struggled to adapt.

“We’re in the middle of change, and in the middle of anything significant, it will get messy. That doesn’t mean you leave. In a marathon, it doesn’t mean you step off the course because myself, as poorly as I may have felt sometimes after two or three miles, recall that those moments might actually produce the best efforts,” he said.

But in a time when many have been quick to call college sports a dying breed, Sankey begs to differ.

“Let me be clear. From my perspective, college athletics is not broken,” he said. “It is under stress. It is strained.”



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Gophers hockey adds D3 transfer from Minnetonka to 2025-26 roster

Augsburg University transfer forward Graham Harris verbally committed to Gophers men’s hockey on Monday according to multiple reports. BREAKING: Augsburg (D3) transfer F Graham Harris has verbally committed to Minnesota, per @FutureGophers Listed at 6 feet, he plays HS hockey for Minnetonka. He had 22 points with 9 goals and 13 assists in his first […]

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Augsburg University transfer forward Graham Harris verbally committed to Gophers men’s hockey on Monday according to multiple reports.

Hailing from Minnetonka, University, Harris scored 24 points at the high school level in 2020-21 with 10 goals and 14 assists. He then played three seasons in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) before beginning his college career at Division III Augsburg last season.

Related: Study shows Gophers hockey is a serious moneymaker for U of M athletics

Standing at 6 feet, he finished with 22 points last season, with nine goals and 13 assists. He’s 22 years old and he will have three years of eligbility remaining with the Gophers.

Harris now gives Minnesota 25 projected players for the 2025-26 season, which is one below the new max of 26. He’s the 14th forward projected to be on next year’s team.

Picture via: @tonyliebert (X)

Gophers roster outlook / Picture via: @tonyliebert (X)

We’re nearly 80 days away from the Gophers opening their 2025-26 season at home against Michigan Tech. They technically have one roster spot left, but it would be fair to think Harris could be their final addition.





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Hugh Freeze, John Cohen discuss Auburn’s experience with new NIL GO clearinghouse

Auburn’s roster building and NIL strategies since the House Settlement was passed have been under a microscope this summer. The Tigers’ 2026 recruiting class has plummeted in the national rankings since June, a drop highlighted by four players decommitting. Head coach Hugh Freeze and athletic director John Cohen both attributed the recent struggles to Auburn’s […]

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Auburn’s roster building and NIL strategies since the House Settlement was passed have been under a microscope this summer.

The Tigers’ 2026 recruiting class has plummeted in the national rankings since June, a drop highlighted by four players decommitting. Head coach Hugh Freeze and athletic director John Cohen both attributed the recent struggles to Auburn’s adjustment to the new revenue sharing era and the program’s strategy for preserving the current roster and staying under the cap.

Both Freeze and Cohen have emphasized that they don’t believe other schools are operating by the same rules as Auburn, something they think could change on Aug. 1, when offers can start going into writing.

Each athletic department operates under the rev-share cap of $20.5 million, but third-party NIL deals don’t count against the cap. The Deloitte NIL GO clearinghouse was introduced to vet NIL deals, in theory eliminating the large pay-for-play deals often handed out by booster collectives.

Those deals aren’t necessarily illegal now, but money that comes from the University or an affiliate — deals that aren’t third-party — would count against the cap. The clearinghouse is still in the early stages, but Freeze and Cohen gave some insight on how it has affected Auburn so far.

“Truthfully, we haven’t had that many in the football building yet that we’ve gotten the word back on,” Freeze said at an AMBUSH event in Atlanta on Monday.

With things still being in the early stages, Freeze avoided giving an extensive comment on Auburn’s deals through NIL GO, deferring to Cohen. However, he did use it as an example of why he thinks Auburn’s rev-share and NIL strategies are the right ones.

Freeze made the point that if players who have already been in college and proven themselves have had trouble getting deals approved or agreeing on a value through the clearinghouse, he doesn’t want to promise large numbers to high school recruits.

Cohen elaborated more on Auburn’s experience with NIL GO so far, saying that it’s “a little hit or miss right now.”

“You’re convinced that something that a businessperson in the business community put through is gonna go through and sail through, and it doesn’t,” Cohen said. “And then you’re convinced that something that something everybody else puts in probably isn’t going to go through, and it does. But I think we’re all going to go through this learning experience.”

Cohen said that if information from the SEC and Deloitte suggests that Auburn is taking the wrong approach, the program will adjust, emphasizing the time still left between now and the early signing period in December.

He was asked specifically if Auburn had the funding and support from its boosters to adjust and strike quickly if the landscape changes, to which Cohen said Auburn will “do what it takes.”

Despite Auburn’s low position in the recruiting rankings, Cohen is still confident in how the 2026 class will finish, praising Freeze’s ability as a recruiter.

“You can’t confuse patience with inactivity. This man, who was just sitting right here, is as active a recruiter as any coach I’ve ever seen in any sport,” Cohen said. “I just spent two hours in a car with him, and he was called by seven different recruits. They called him. That’s the kind of relationship he has with recruits…

“There are staffs out there in which the head coach really isn’t part of that process, that there’s a separate group. Not Hugh Freeze, he’s personally in the middle of it, and it takes a lot of time, but no matter what he’s doing at that moment, he stops everything in his life to talk to those recruits and to talk to their families.”

Time will ultimately tell whether or not Auburn’s approach will work, but for now, neither Cohen or Freeze is backing away from their strategy yet.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at prauterkus@al.com

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