With just two days until Penn State football is set to conclude its spring practice period with Blue-White weekend, the program appears to have reached substantial momentum on the NIL front. 

Lions Legacy Club, Penn State’s only NIL collective devoted solely to football fundraising initiatives, announced a seven-figure deal with West Shore Home and MITER Brands on Thursday afternoon. 

We are thrilled to announce a landmark multi-year corporate and philanthropic deal with @westshorehome and @MITERbrands that includes a seven-figure commitment for NIL opportunities for @PennStateFball players

Full story: https://t.co/nFVNZIDii6#WeAre | #LionsLegacyClub #NIL pic.twitter.com/BTevyf9nJG

— Lions Legacy Club (@lionslegacyclub) April 13, 2023

The corporate partnership will benefit Penn State football student-athletes through community-focused engagements, exclusive events, strategic marketing, and branding agreements, per the collective’s press release. 

“The corporate partnership is the first NIL deal of its kind at Penn State,” according to Lions Legacy Club. “It looks beyond the standard student-athlete brand deals to provide a more holistic approach. Through this innovative deal, both brands can tap into new and creative opportunities with Penn State football student-athletes.”

While the exact terms of the deal are undisclosed, the “seven-figure commitment” will span over a two-year period.

West Shore Home President and CEO B.J. Werzyn and MITER Brands CEO Matt DeSoto are both Penn State alumni, which pushed the two executives to sign onto Lions Legacy Club’s vision. Last year, West Shore Home inked running back Nick Singleton to a three-year individual endorsement pledge to market the speed of its consumer remodeling process.

Michael Mauti, one of Lions Legacy Club’s co-founders and former All-American linebacker for the Nittany Lions, said the unique initiative could ultimately spearhead several other corporate deals in the football program’s favor by way of the collective. When asked for a comment, Mauti released this statement to Onward State:

“Beyond grateful to Matt [DeSoto] and BJ [Werzyn] for collaborating with Lions Legacy Club and Penn State football to help revolutionalize the game with this NIL initiative,” Mauti said. “This marks the beginning of a platform that empowers Penn State alumni running successful businesses to partner directly with our football program and football student-athletes in ways that benefit all of us.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of the LLC team for helping lay the foundation of this game-changing initiative to deliver value for our football program and throughout the Penn State ecosystem,” he continued. “I’m excited to see it grow and expand its reach. Onward and upward. We are!”