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easily accessed home for an athlete-spe- cific Penn State alumni association, the already-existing service can now con- nect current and former student-ath- letes to explore potential partnerships and collaborations. What hasn't been answered and won't become clear for some time is, what is the efficacy of Penn State's plan, and how will it evolve? If student-athletes are thirsting for the opportunity to immediately capital- ize on the removal of monetary limita- tions, will they take the time to grasp everything that accompanies this new landscape? Flatly, Barbour and Penn State Athlet- ics are banking on it. "Now it's up to our student-athletes to access the resources, access the educa- tion," she said. "We will grow with them. We will continue to learn what it is that they want to know and provide those educational opportunities, provide them the assistance that's legal from a regula- tory standpoint for us to do, to help them achieve and accomplish the types of things they want to." While the infrastructure is already in place to adapt to these changes – Penn State is happy to leverage its brand recog- nition and deploy the world's largest alumni association in service of its stu- dent-athletes – the effort is going to re- quire buy-in from all of its stakeholders. For the athletic department, the many unknowns are going to require a nimble approach. While the university will al- ways want to stay true to its core values, the response of its student-athletes and, maybe more important, its prospective student-athletes, is going to quickly be- come clear and may require that PSU occasionally make adjustments. For its current and prospective stu- dent-athletes, meanwhile, the plan's educational foundation marks, in some respects, a line in the sand. Is the goal to be handed a fish to eat? Or is the goal to properly learn how to catch a fish, with practically every tool and resource available, for the immedi- ate and long-term future? While the an- swer might seem obvious enough, the target age group and evolving norms don't necessarily make its wisdom a universal truth. But Franklin's response to Penn State's plan very much suggests the program's future depends on the buy-in it sees from current and prospective student-athletes. "We are very excited for our students to have this new entrepreneurial oppor- tunity and provide them the education and resources necessary to excel through our STATEment program," he said. "STATEment will influence our students in so many ways as they begin their NIL journey with education and support on a variety of topics, including brand build- ing and financial responsibility. We are extremely grateful to have a comprehen- sive program which will serve our stu- dents for a lifetime." As it surveys a frontier unlike any other in the history of college athletics, Penn State will learn soon enough how well its approach has taken hold. ■ It is not just about football. Athletes in basketball, softball, gymnastics and women's volleyball are all poised to make some NIL money at PSU. Brand, per- sonality, reach, pre-existing promotional and content channels, relationships with potential sponsors plus niche and broader audiences/fan bases are all very important. MIKE POORMAN STATECOLLEGE.COM T H E M O N T H I N . . . O P I N I O N S JOE KRENTZMAN & SON, INC. • Buyers and Brokers of Steel, Iron and Nonferrous Metals • Industrial Scrap Buyers • Container Service Available • Large Service Territory Since 1903 Lewistown, PA • Hollidaysburg, PA • DuBois, PA (800) 543-2000 • www.krentzman.net F irst i n S cra p

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