James Franklin to headline Penn State football NIL event in California this week

James Franklin is taking his NIL campaign to the Golden Coast. First reported by Nate Bauer of Blue White Illustrated last week, Franklin will be the featured guest at a Happy Valley United-sponsored dinner in Southern California this Wednesday to benefit the NIL efforts surrounding Penn State football. On the West Coast to participate in the Big Ten’s spring meetings, the dinner is the latest push from the Nittany Lions head coach to galvanize support for football-related NIL activities.

James Franklin to be featured at California NIL dinner this week

As reported by Blue White Illustrated’s Nate Bauer on Friday, Penn State football coach James Franklin will host a dinner with Happy Valley United for Nittany Lions supporters on Wednesday, May 22, in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Franklin is set to be in Southern California for the Big Ten’s annual spring meetings this week.

A busy offseason of name, image, and likeness movement for Penn State head coach James Franklin will continue next week with a new event added to his schedule.

New to the Nittany Lions' NIL equation, it'll take place in Southern California: https://t.co/vKheZp6o7G pic.twitter.com/jBBrmQkVxi

— Blue White Illustrated (@PennStateOn3) May 17, 2024

“Head coach James Franklin’s travels will bring him to Rancho Palos Verdes, California, on Wednesday, May 22,” the Happy Valley United website reads. “During his visit, Franklin will host an intimate dinner for Nittany Lion football supporters. Drinks start at 7 p.m., and dinner begins at 7:30 p.m.” Individual tickets cost $500, while the price is $750 for couples.

Per the Penn State Alumni Association, the university had 23,655 living alumni residing in California as of 2023, the seventh-most in the country.

Franklin’s public push to Penn State football community

Wednesday’s dinner is just another way that NIL has come to the forefront for the Penn State football program of late. Earlier in May, Happy Valley United hosted an event in the City of Brotherly Love with former Penn State football star and new Philadelphia Eagles running back, Saquon Barkley.

The collective will also hold events in Luzerne County on June 6 and at the Jersey Shore on July 25. Both events will hope to be bolstered by Franklin’s public calls for support of Penn State’s NIL efforts last week.

“Our goal is to compete for championships while doing it the right way,” Franklin said in a message promoting Happy Valley United’s Restore the Roar campaign. “But, having an elite NIL program is critical to this mission. 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.”

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