Burnishing the brand: Penn State mastering the ever-evolving financial/PR/marketing side of college football

James Franklin and 3 of his more veteran players spent a couple days in Indianapolis this week boring the crap out of everyone willing to listen.

A tale about Adisa Isaac’s misadventures with some spicy cocktail sauce at a restaurant accounts for the most interesting words spoken. Next up on the riveting conversation list probably would be a back-and-forth about Franklin’s daughter Shola’s fledgling driving and culinary skills.

But B1G Network studio host Dave Revsine and I digress.

Franklin did acknowledge a couple of very positive aspects of where his program stands — on the cusp, again, of breaking Michigan and Ohio State’s stranglehold on the conference. He affirmed that the team’s depth has never been better and agreed that the NIL piece is coming together nicely. Those 2 things are not coincidental.

It’s probably fair to say Penn State has never been in better shape during Franklin’s 10 years at the helm. The reason: The alignment the 51-year-old has been seeking is coming to fruition.

So, while Media Days representatives from Northwestern, Michigan and Minnesota were parsing their words concerning scandals of varying seriousness, Franklin, Isaac, Olu Fashanu and Keaton Ellis skated through their duties at Lucas Oil Stadium affably discussing the Nittany Lions’ 2023 prospects without revealing much of anything.

Perfect execution.

There is nothing to be gained from bold words in late July.

But some things happened in preceding months that should not go unnoticed, because they are vital to the pursuit of Playoff berths and elite status — Franklin’s ultimate goal.

The money is flowing

The 2 main Penn State NIL collectives, which had seemed to be somewhat at odds, recently combined to form Happy Valley United. I don’t know if that will completely end a simmering feud between Board of Trustees members Jay Paterno and Brandon Short. But it should.

Both Franklin and AD Pat Kraft insist the merger of NIL entities provides needed synergy. The key off-the-field players are rowing in the same direction. And the proof shows in player retention, transfer additions and the 2024 recruiting class, currently ranked No. 5 in the country.

“I think we’re continuing to close that gap and make really good progress,” Franklin said regarding NIL initiatives on Wednesday during his opening media session. “So, I’m encouraged by the direction that we’re going, but there’s still work that needs to be done.”

Trading on their name, image and likeness is how players get paid. Revenue sharing might come, perhaps in the near future, but for now programs are beholden to entities they don’t directly control. It’s an odd way to run a professional sport, which college football has become. But it is a reality, and no one is making the Playoff without investing appropriately. The very activities of boosters that earned SMU a 2-year death sentence 4 decades ago is now a legal and necessary part of program building.

As former Power 5 coach Rick Neuheisel says on his SiriusXM radio show, NIL in all practicality stands for Now It’s Legal. At all the major football schools, some players have brands strong enough to demand 6 or even 7 figures. But plenty of others are simply getting paid by deep-pocketed donors who love the program.

Penn State may not be at the very top of this pyramid, but it is now close enough to compete for big prizes — B1G titles, Playoff berths. Yes, even national titles. The next couple of years are bursting with promise for the Nittany Lions, and that should be just the beginning.

A dramatic shift

Just a few years ago, Penn State was failing miserably dealing with the advent of NIL and the transfer portal. The program lost 33 players — including a couple of former 5-star recruits — during the first 2 years of the “new era” of the sport. It would be naive to think money wasn’t a major factor in some of those decisions. Surely playing time and roles weren’t the only things the outgoing players found lacking at Dear Old State. And, directly or indirectly, they were hearing about pots of gold at the ends of other rainbows.

The good news is, Penn State can play this game. The school has a huge alumni base and draws more fans than anyone other than Michigan. So long as PSU can be in the same financial ballpark as the sports’ other major programs, Franklin can sell tradition, culture, facilities and education. Those can be tiebreakers if the money is close.

Fashanu could be in the NFL right now, but instead the left tackle is back to lead a vastly improved offensive line while finishing up his degree. Maybe he makes that decision anyway, but 6-figures in endorsement deals and a Tesla sure made it easier for him to do so.

Drew Allar, the 5-star QB that Fashanu is likely to be protecting when the season opens Sept. 2 with a Saturday night game at Beaver Stadium against old rival West Virginia, will be sporting about in a Tesla as well. Beau Pribula, Allar’s top challenger for the starting spot left vacant by Sean Clifford, already has the keys to a BMW valued at more than $100,000. No bad for a couple of QBs too young to drink legally who have never started a college game.

A year ago, 5-star Chop Robinson left Maryland after 1 year to swim in the much more lucrative fish bowl that 100,000-plus seat Beaver Stadium provides.

There’s never been a better time to be a college football player. And thanks to companies that want to associate their brand with that of the Nittany Lions, State College is becoming as good a place as any to apprentice for the NFL.

Add in that — hold your breath — Penn State, unlike some of its B1G brethren, isn’t dealing with allegations of hazing, racism, cheating or player mistreatment.

A breakthrough is imminent

The confluence of events described above puts Penn State in the B1G echelon with Michigan and Ohio State, and also among about a dozen teams nationally with legit shots to win it all. That last hurdle remains a tall one, of course, but Franklin and company can at least see the darn thing now.

In the AP Poll, Penn State finished No. 7 last season and starts at No. 7 this season. The 2024 recruiting class ranks No. 5 in the country. The 2025 class is off to a good start with 3 members that put it at No. 3 in the country according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. It’s early, but Penn State may be in line for back-to-back top 10 classes and 3 out of 4, things that have never happened this century.

If Allar and/or Pribula develop fast enough, this could be a breakthrough season — the 1st of the Franklin era without a minimum of 2 regular-season losses. If not, then 2025 — when the B1G drops divisional play and the Playoff expands to 12 teams — should see the Lions finally in the real postseason.

Penn State is long on synergy, alignment and cash, and short on excuses. The stretch of awfulness that was 11-11 through 2020-21 shouldn’t happen again for decades, if ever.

“I think we’re in a position to give us the best chance to compete in our conference as well as nationally,” Franklin said during his opening session at Media Days. “Just less question marks across the board.”

Enough talk. Let’s get this thing kicked off already.

Luke Glusco is a Penn State graduate and veteran journalist. He covers Penn State and occasionally writes about other Big Ten programs and topics. He also serves as the primary copy editor for Saturday Tradition.