Latest news with #HappyValleyUnited
USA Today
21-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Penn State's NIL Strategy: How Penn State's NIL strategy is evolving in the transfer era
Let's be real — in 2025, college football isn't just about schemes and stars anymore. It's about money. And if your NIL game isn't right, you're going to fall behind. That's why Penn State's recent push in the name, image, and likeness world is a huge deal for the program's future. It starts with the faces of the team. Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, Abdul Carter before he left — those guys were top-dollar targets for NIL. And now, younger stars like Tony Rojas and Jameial Lyons are starting to see those deals come in too. But Penn State's approach isn't just about paying the top guys. It's about rewarding the full roster. Through partnerships with collectives like Happy Valley United, players are getting deals that support them year-round — not just the Heisman hopefuls. Whether it's car deals, merch drops, or small business collabs, the Nittany Lions are finally treating NIL like the major recruiting and retention tool it is. The best part? It hasn't fractured the locker room. Penn State's done a solid job making NIL feel like a team thing, not a 'me-first' thing. Coaches like James Franklin have emphasized that NIL opportunities are earned, not handed out. That's kept guys motivated and hungry without letting money become a distraction. And when players like Allar and Kaytron Allen decide to come back instead of jumping early to the NFL, you know NIL's part of that. It gives guys real incentives to stay, grow, and lead. That matters in a world where the transfer portal is a revolving door. NIL has helped Penn State hold onto talent and avoid mass exodus seasons like other big programs. Where PSU Stands Nationally Are they leading the nation in NIL spending? No. But Penn State isn't trying to play the same game as Texas A&M or Miami. They're playing smart and building something sustainable. More importantly, they're figuring out how to sell that message to recruits. When a four-star kid from the South sees guys thriving in Happy Valley — getting paid and developing — that changes the perception. Suddenly Penn State feels modern, competitive, and invested. The next step? Keep growing the infrastructure. More transparency. More partnerships. More consistency. And with the Big Ten turning into a mega-conference with coast-to-coast visibility, the opportunity to market players is bigger than ever. NIL isn't just about surviving anymore — it's about thriving. If Penn State continues this trend, they'll stay in that top-tier conversation year after year. Talent will come. Talent will stay. And the culture won't get compromised. That's how you build a winner in 2025.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Saquon Barkley's Three-Word Message After Exciting Penn State Announcement
With the NFL Draft coming up this week, the days are dwindling until the start of the 2025 season. The Philadelphia Eagles will begin the season as the defending Super Bowl champions, having defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22. Advertisement While it has been a relatively uneventful offseason so far for the Eagles, things are expected to heat up with the draft and, soon after, the start of training camp. As players enjoy some time off before the rush of the season, many are spending it on vacations with family or attending various events. Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles, is scheduled to appear at an event on May 8. Happy Valley United sent a message about a fun event coming up next month: "We Are… in Philly! Join us on May 8th at the Union League Philadelphia from 6–10 PM to rally behind Penn State Football and connect with fellow Nittany Lions." Advertisement "See you there," said Barkley. Saquon Barkley, InstagramSaquon Barkley, Instagram Saquon Barkley is undoubtedly the headliner at this major event hosted by the Penn State NIL collective. In 2024, Barkley was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year and led the league in rushing yards. The dynamic running back finished the regular season with an impressive 2,283 total scrimmage yards across 16 games. This was Barkley's first season with the Philadelphia Eagles after making the move from their division rivals, the New York Giants. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26).Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images According to the Happy Valley United website, it "is the NIL collective that serves all 31 sports and over 850 student-athletes at Penn State. NIL opportunities allow student-athletes to engage with charitable causes and participate in business engagements, to build their brands while making a positive impact." Advertisement Other former Penn State Nittany Lions that plan to be in attendance include: Marcus Allen, Christian Hackenberg, Grant Haley, Jordan Hill, Adam Taliaferro, Deion Barnes, Dan Connor, Stan Drayton, Jim Knowles and Terry Smith. The event is scheduled for Thursday, May 8, at the Union League of Philadelphia from 6-10 PM ET. Related: Brittany Mahomes' Outfit on Easter Sunday is Turning Heads
Associated Press
12-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Contracts? Buyouts? Study at 1 school, play for another? Ambitious pitches to revamp college sports
As the amateur model of college athletics disintegrates, a handful of unusual ideas have been floated as ways to reign in some of the chaos surrounding the explosion in name, image and likeness compensation and a transfer portal that sees thousands of athletes changing schools every season. Whether any of the ideas end up being implemented is unknown and every school is awaiting a decision from a federal judge on whether a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement against the NCAA and the five largest conferences will take effect as early as July 1. If it does, that opens the floodgates for schools to share millions in revenue directly with their athletes amid a host of other changes. Here is a look at some of the topics: Athlete contracts A formal agreement between an athlete and a school is not a new concept, but with the uptick of NIL deals the thought of pro-style contracts is becoming increasingly more common. There are plenty of ways to get creative with contracts. Rich Stankewicz, operations director for Penn State's NIL collective Happy Valley United, said he favors an incentive-based approach — essentially adding money for athletes who not only perform but stick around. 'I personally really like the idea of incentivizing performance in school, those kinds of things that would only be occurring in the season while they're playing,' Stankewicz said. 'If more money is paid out in those time frames, then that gives the incentive for the player to stay and see those dollars from their contract, rather than potentially collect up front and then decide the grass is greener somewhere else three months later, barely doing any school, you know, without playing at all.' Transfers and buyouts This topic is red hot at the moment. Entering the transfer portal comes with the risk of not landing in a better spot — or any spot — but athletes have shown every single season over the past few years that they are comfortable going anyway. Athletic departments are beginning to fight back. Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek recently encouraged the school's NIL collective to pursue legal action after quarterback Madden Iamaleava departed for UCLA after just five months in Fayetteville. Iamaleava allegedly collected significant money upfront and cited homesickness as his reason for following his brother to California. This is a scenario Penn State hopes to avoid. And the importance of contract details is clear. 'Commonly, there's nothing binding students in certain instances to the institution they're with for the entirety of the contract,' Stankewicz said. 'We've definitely looked into having measures in place to discourage transfers during the time of the contract. There are a bunch of different ways to do that, from buyouts to how you load the contract.' Athletes as employees Groundbreaking shifts in the landscape have sparked conversations about athletes becoming official employees of their universities. It's a controversial subject to say the least. Universities would become responsible for paying wages, benefits, and workers' compensation and schools and conferences have insisted they will fight any such move in court (some already have). Complexities go beyond the concept. While private institutions fall under the National Labor Relations Board, public universities must follow labor laws that vary from state to state and it's worth noting that virtually every state in the South has 'right to work' laws that present challenges for unions. There is also a new administration in power now, said Michael LeRoy, a labor and employment professor at Illinois who has studied the NCAA and athlete rights. 'With the election of Donald Trump, and what that would mean for a new National Labor Relations Board, what that would mean for repopulating the courts with judges who are likely not congenial to that view, I no longer have much hope that we'll get a ruling in the next 5-10 years that these are employees,' LeRoy said. Despite the lack of employment status, LeRoy said, athletes should advocate for themselves and use the entertainment industry as a model. He said athletes currently are offered 'take-it-or-leave-it' NIL contracts when a broader approach might have benefits. 'I think athletes should start to look at Hollywood and Broadway contracting arrangements that deal with publicity rights,' he said. 'I think there's a way to frame this collectively. The framework of collective bargaining and employment, I would say, the entertainment industry generally offers a blueprint for success.' Playing for another school Things are so chaotic right now that the very lines of who an athlete is playing for could get blurred. Saying he was inspired by the NBA's G League, University of Albany basketball coach Dwayne Killings is proposing a two-way contract for college players. Albany would welcome transfers from top-tier programs who need more seasoning and help them develop — with plenty of game time vs. sitting on the bench — before sending them back to their original program, where they'd be ready to compete. 'The best development happens on the floor, not necessarily on the scout team, given the new 15-man scholarship limits,' Killings told CBS Sports. And then there is Division III, which recently approved an unusual pilot program: Athletes would play for one school but do their coursework at another school that does not sponsor varsity athletics. The NCAA said the program, which would run during the next academic year, 'will offer expanded pathways for student-athletes to pursue their academic objectives and complete their participation opportunity.' 'This program intends to address the changing, dynamic higher education environment we find ourselves in right now,' said Jim Troha, president of Juniata and chairman of the DIII President's Council. 'It recognizes existing academic programs and provides flexibility to expand participation opportunities for student-athletes.' The program will be assessed before any decisions on whether to make it permanent or expand it. ___ AP college sports:
