Blue White Illustrated

JUDGMENT CALL IMAGE CONSCIOUS PSU has responded to the new normal. Will its plan work? his was the moment James Franklin had been awaiting. Penn State's head football coach had said in June that he wanted the uni- versity to be "bold and aggressive" in its approach to impending changes to the name, image and likeness rules govern- ing college athletics. On July 1, those changes were enacted, and that same day, Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics released the framework of its plan. Call- ing it the "STATEment" program, uni- versity officials made public how they intend to compete in this radically al- tered landscape of NCAA amateurism. The program's unveiling hit on all the notes you would expect from Penn State Athletics, focusing on "life skills educa- tion" and the university's desire to help student-athletes with "brand building, social media responsibility, financial lit- eracy, professionalism, media training, interest and values assessment, diversity and inclusion, and alumni and industry relationships." But the educational component isn't what moves the needle. Penn State knows this. Athletic director Sandy Bar- bour knows this. Certainly, Franklin and the Nittany Lion football program know this. And as evidenced by the rush to find immediate partnerships and spon- sorship opportunities, current Penn State athletes know this. In a brief video interview released in conjunction with the plan's unveiling, host Mitch Gerber posed to Barbour the question that student-athletes are ask- ing: How do I make money? Barbour's answer provides some insight into the delicate balance that Penn State will have to navigate as it moves ahead. "I think [the question] is a little short- sighted. I understand it, but it's a little shortsighted. It's bigger than that. It's about building those skills," Barbour said. "They're going to have the opportunity to monetize their name, image and likeness, but if they really focus on acquiring en- trepreneurial knowledge, the skills it takes to build a business, to build a brand, to understand marketing, all of those things, then the opportunities to be com- pensated are going to come." At the heart of the plan are three new partnerships meant to bring NIL possi- bilities to life for student-athletes. First up, a business called INFLCR will provide Penn State's student-athletes with an app that effectively provides a road map on building a personal brand and, maybe more important, the re- sources to do it. Athletes are already the most photographed and filmed students on Penn State's campus, and the app de- livers those photos and videos directly to them to then be shared through social media. In turn, the opportunity for ex- posure expands, and with it, the influ- ence so attractive to sponsors grows. There's a second app called Spry that essentially sets and enforces the rules of the game. Described as an "educational hub for STATEment," the app serves to keep both Penn State and its student- athletes in compliance. In Pennsylvania, that means student-athletes won't be al- lowed to engage in sponsorship deals for "adult entertainment products and serv- ices," "alcohol products" and businesses that involve "casinos and gambling." A third resource announced July 1 is through Athlete Network, which serves as a home for "former University Park varsity student-athletes, managers, mascots, cheerleaders and dance team members." Essentially an organized, T students as they explore these new opportunities to make an impact." Multiple Penn State coaches sounded off on the program, which is more broadly defined by the news re- lease as an initiative with an educa- tional focus "on brand building, social media responsibility, financial liter- acy, professionalism, media training, interest and values assessment, diver- sity and inclusion, and alumni and in- dustry relationships." Here's what some of PSU's coaches had to say in released statements: James Franklin (football): "We are very excited for our students to have this new entrepreneurial opportunity and provide them the education and resources necessary to excel through our STATEment program. STATEment will influence our students in so many ways as they begin their NIL journey with education and support on a vari- ety of topics, including brand building and financial responsibility." Micah Shrewsberry (men's bas- ketball): "STATEment's comprehen- sive curriculum and tools will be a game-changer as we help our stu- dents navigate the Name, Image and Likeness era. The education and serv- ices provided to our students by STATEment will not only help them manage and monetize their right of publicity, but more importantly, con- tinue to prepare them for a lifetime of impact beyond their collegiate playing days." Carolyn Kieger (women's basket- ball): "What a great opportunity for our students to learn and be able to build their brand while here at Penn State. We are so fortunate to have a living alumni base of more than 700,000 who can help in these efforts for all of our students." Clarisa Crowell (softball): "I am excited for the future of NIL legislation, as I believe this will allow for incredible entrepreneurship opportunities for our student-athletes. I would like to com- mend our administration and staff for being proactive in preparing for this new era of college athletics." ■

• Cover