7/12/2021 football Edit

PA lawmakers join Barron and Barbour to break down NIL law's impact

David Eckert • Happy Valley Insider

Staff

Penn State president Eric Barron, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Sandy Barbour and several Nittany Lion athletes joined Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and other state lawmakers at Beaver Stadium on Monday afternoon to offer praise for recent state name, image and likeness legislation.

The legislation, which went into effect on July 1, allows student-athletes to profit off of their NIL, sign with an agent and collect royalties for merchandise, among other things.

"For far too long, college athletes were barred from earning compensation for endorsements, forced to allow other entities to profit off of their success in order to continue playing the sports they love," Wolf said in his prepared remarks. "College athletes have earned their fame through hard work and through dedication, through long years of practice and outstanding performance. Now, our college athletes will no longer be forced to choose between receiving fair compensation and continuing to play. They'll be able to do both."

Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour was one of several speakers at an event at Beaver Stadium praising PA's new NIL law.

Pennsylvania was the 25th state in the country to enact NIL legislation, doing so at a pace swifter than what many politicians in Harrisburg are accustomed to.

PA Senator Jake Corman received an initial phone call from Penn State Vice President of Government and Community relations, Zack Moore, in June, then another from Penn State head football coach James Franklin, asking the state legislature to take action on the issue. Initially, Corman had his doubts about achieving a quick resolution, but found that the groundwork for the legislation was already built.

"We keep calling them student-athletes," Corman said. "They should be just like other students, and be able to control their likeness, control their name and be able to get some professional advice as they move forward in their career."

Among the Penn State student-athletes in attendance were football's Sean Clifford, Jahan Dotson and Caedan Wallace, and basketball's John Harrar, Sam Sessoms and Anna Camden.

In his remarks, Barron touted what he called a "responsibility" on behalf of Penn State to do everything it can to ensure the success of its student-athletes, and said that he believes this movement on the NIL front will allow the university to do that better.

"First and foremost, NIL provides a unique opportunity for building entrepreneurial skills and business savvy," Barron said.

"It will avoid a competitive disadvantage for the Nittany Lions given more than two dozen states have enacted NIL legislation," he added.

Entrepreneurship is one of Penn State's main talking points on the issue, Barbour explained.

"The opportunity to engage in entrepreneurial opportunities of many, many sorts in the exact same way that any student on this campus has," Barbour said. "Student-athletes did not have that right before. It's what's right, and we are excited to see all that they will do with this opportunity."

Barbour also outlined the framework that Penn State Athletics is providing its student-athletes with at the moment. Built within the STATEment program, Penn State Athletics is hoping to connect athletes with the resources and expertise available to them on campus, within the compliance department and through Letterman organizations.

Penn State Athletics will use two applications to help athletes through this process. The first is INFLCR, which is designed to help athletes grow their brands while remaining NIL compliant. The second is Spry, which is meant to help athletic departments reduce their NIL compliance risks.

"We are excited to be at and in this moment, and looking forward to seeing what our student-athletes will do with this opportunity," Barbour said.

Dotson and Camden also gave remarks, with each emphasizing the scale of the opportunity they feel has been placed in front of them.

"I am so excited to see how my fellow athletes tackle these endeavors and entrepreneurial opportunities," Camden said, "whether it is starting their own businesses, partnering with random companies or anything in between. Penn State has already — and I have no doubt they will continue to support us in these uncharted territories.

"This is a huge opportunity for myself and all the student-athletes here at Penn State to get a head start in life, not only in athletics, but in our careers," Dotson said. "Being a student at Penn State means being part of a community that always moves us up and shows us all support in the world.

"We all know the brand recognition that comes with saying 'I go to Penn State,'" Dotson continued. "That gives student-athletes a unique chance to succeed not only in athletics, but in academics as well, which is why this NIL bill is such a great opportunity that has been presented to us."

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