Penn State takes major step forward in NIL era

Finally, Penn State football players can be compensated for jersey sales in a new NIL deal.

The new age of name image and likeness in college sports continues to see shifts in the college game once never thought possible. And Penn State is doing its best not to be left behind in the NIL game. On Friday, Penn State announced it is collaborating with Fanatics as part of a NIL deal that will greatly benefit players on the Penn State roster.

In short, fans will now be able to buy customizable jerseys and players who have opted into the program will be able to benefit from the jersey sales related to their name and jersey. Penn State joins the launch of this program in collaboration with Fanatics and OneTeam along with programs such as LSU and Oklahoma.

Of course, you may be wondering how this works when Penn State players don’t wear their names on their jerseys. Well, the good news is that is not about to change for the football program (so we believe), but fans will be able to get a jersey with a player’s name on it. Once that sale is complete, a portion of the proceeds will be given back to the player, although the method in how this will all work is not detailed beyond the idea that OneTeam has a way of tracking these numbers. However it works, it’s a win for the players and a giant step forward for Penn State in the NIL era.

Allowing players to be compensated in some way for the jersey sales in college has long been a sticking point prior to the age of NIL. Schools have been turning a profit on football jerseys of current players for decades, and a school like Penn State has been able to do so without having to worry about a name on the jersey. Now, schools and players can benefit from the sale of jerseys, and it’s about darn time that was the case.

Will you be buying a customizable jersey of one of your favorite players on the roster this season? If so, let us know which player you will be repping on gameday with a comment below.

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