Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1528325
1 0 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M W ith Penn State undefeated at mid- season and vying for a berth in the expanded College Football Playoff, coach James Franklin has contin- ued to campaign for additional NIL sup- port to keep the Nittany Lions competi- tive with their rivals on a long-term basis. During his appearance on the "Penn State Coaches Show" on Oct. 3, the Lions' 11th-year head coach was asked specifi- cally about Tennessee's plan to imple- ment a 10 percent surcharge on tickets to help support the Volunteers' NIL fund- raising efforts. Franklin said Penn State will need to at least consider such ideas going forward. "You talk about a 10 percent increase in ticket sales for NIL, and … I think it's just good for us to think about: How would we react to that as a fan base and as a univer- sity?" he asked. "I think it's a positive that Tennessee has done that, and they've done it publicly. I think it's been embraced by their fan base, and that's very interesting. "When you look at it, those are dis- cussions that we have to have. Those are things [worth considering], whether we decide to go that route or not. I'm not saying we should, but these are the type of discussions that we need to have on a broad scale." Franklin said Penn State needs to be proactive, noting that "if we're waiting for changes to come in NIL, then we're going to fall further behind. "When the rules change in any indus- try, you need to embrace the rules and you need to be bold and aggressive," he con- tinued. "I don't think NIL is ever going away. These rule changes started because we live in a litigious society, and with any- thing that the NCAA could be sued about, they've taken away those rules. "All we're really saying is that the play- ers have the ability to make money off their name, image and likeness. So, they have the ability to make money outside of just football. That won't ever go away." James Franklin Urges Proactive Approach Amid NIL Concerns NAT E BAU E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M NEWS & NOTES Franklin has said that Penn State needs to be "bold and aggressive" to keep pace with its rivals. Four Big Ten members made On3's list of the nation's top 15 NIL collectives, and PSU was not among them. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL