James Franklin Takes Penn State Collective's 'Retain the Roar' NIL Pitch to the Fans

The Nittany Lions coach calls an "elite NIL program" critical to competing for championships.

Penn State coach James Franklin greets fans at the 2024 Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Happy Valley United, Penn State's official NIL collective, recently launched a $500,000 fundraising campaign aimed at roster retention for the Penn State football program. The campaign, called "Retain the Roar," raised about $150,000 in its first month. Penn State coach James Franklin is refreshing the pitch.

In a video released by State Media, a platform run by former Penn State players Adam Breneman and Christian Hackenberg, Franklin said that "having an elite NIL program" is critical to competing for championships and explained why Nittany Lions fans should consider contributing to the "Retain the Roar" initiative.

"Our goal is to compete for championships while doing it the right way. But having an elite NIL program is critical to this mission," Franklin said in the video, released on State Media's social channels. "A strong NIL program is a foundational component of building and maintaining an elite roster of players that will ensure our program is competitive in today's college football."

Happy Valley United, which formed in August 2023 after the merger of two former collectives, has launched multiple NIL initiatives to benefit Penn State's 31 varsity programs. The collective has signed marketing and brand deals with more than 20 partners. Happy Valley United has an official beer, an official vodka and an official branded energy drink. It also has hosted numerous NIL-related events, including several at the recent Blue-White Game.

Penn State fans gathered with Franklin, members of his coaching staff, current players and former star Saquon Barkley at an event in Philadelphia in early May. Happy Valley United will host an event in northeast Pennsylvania in June and a second "We Are at the Shore" event in New Jersey in July.

"Coach Franklin is a great speaker and really articulates very well that we have to be bold, we have to be aggressive, and we have to try to garner as much support as we can [for NIL]," said Jen Ferrang, general manager of development and corporate partnerships for Happy Valley United.

In the video, Franklin said that "every donation matters."

"Now, we must ensure we do everything to guarantee our roster is the best it possibly can be for this upcoming season," Franklin said.

🚨 PSA from @coachjfranklin

We need your help Nittany Nation!

We are just over 25% of our goal with the Retain The Roar Campaign…

But we need ALL of the Penn State Family to get us across the Finish Line 😤

Let’s show them who #WEARE 🦁

DONATE 👉 https://t.co/c9spxpak4n pic.twitter.com/teZDX3SkNf

— State Media (@StateMediaPSU) May 16, 2024

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.