Turns out Penn State won't be swallowing the $49 million buyout once attached to James Franklin's contract . Instead, the school will pay just $9 million after negotiating a dramatic reduction as Franklin's talks with Virginia Tech intensified in recent weeks, sources tell CBS Sports.

Franklin is expected to be announced as the Hokies' next head coach within hours.

Franklin's original buyout -- the second-largest in college athletics history when Penn State fired him in mid-October -- was structured to be paid through 2031. His future earnings at Virginia Tech would have offset a significant portion of that total, but as discussions with the Hokies escalated, both sides agreed to settle on a smaller, negotiated sum, sources told CBS Sports. Details of his contract at Virginia Tec

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