We’re almost halfway through college football season, halfway toward a so-far undefeated and likely College Football Playoff berth season for Penn State, and a couple of things — mostly off-field things — remain most interesting, and maybe troubling, to me.
That’s probably because the team itself has been efficient and productive. The Nittany Lions are winning games with balance on both sides of the ball and without much drama. They’ve been almost boringly efficient, if that’s possible in a season with more big plays on offense than last season.
Sure, there have been just enough hiccups (notably the kicking game and some nagging questions about the passing game) to keep things interesting, but big, worrisome flaws have largely been absent.
That’s why the team sits at No. 4 in this week’s Associated Press poll. The Nittany Lions are good, potentially really good.
So, off-field things have caught my attention, or at least piqued my curiosity.
First, the altered emphasis from “Linebacker U” to “St1x C1ty” might be most interesting.
No name, team-first productivity and decades-long tradition? Nah, that’s Linebacker U and that’s old school. These days history as far back as the late 1990 seems to be enough. It’s a linebacker line of succession (those wearing only uniform No. 11) and a celebration of that brand.
That comes with pregame tailgates and $200 tickets that get fans two beverages and a chance to rub elbows with big-name former Penn State players.
Plus, the group sponsoring the event at home games, DisruptU PSU, comes from a linebacker who formerly wore No. 11 (the “sticks”), college football Hall of Famer LaVar Arrington. His company is one of several offering brand-related opportunities and support for Penn State athletes these days — with that support eventually, ideally, leading to some financial benefits for those involved.
It’s a busy, crowded marketplace for that kind of thing, and it might be more competitive than what’s happening on the field here in Happy Valley.
Penn State’s Brand Academy, an in-house effort by the athletic department to help players develop their “brands,” identify sponsorship opportunities, create content and engage in community and non-profit outreach, among other things, announced an official partnership with DisruptU PSU in late August.
The athletic department’s rights holder, Playfly Sports, also has a blue-and-white-focused brand and player support effort. It’s all about the money, and maybe that’ll come to fruition for some players.
That all leads to the other off-field thing, closely related, that interests me most. It’s been my consistent complaint entering this season, and long before.
At some point, we’ll call all this by its real name, right? It’s pay for play. It’s the pros. And it’s not a minor league effort, because those getting paid are not making minor-league money.
ESPN’s Heather Dinnich offered an offhand assessment about all this last week during a discussion on Sirius XM Radio. The former Penn State beat reporter who has become a solid national presence wondered aloud why she and her colleagues continue to call everything NIL, as if name, image and likeness, was really the model.
She knows it’s not that. Every media member, from the biggest national outlet to the tiniest podcast effort knows it’s not. Coaches and players know it’s not. The folks at the University of Tennessee with their 10 percent talent surcharge on tickets next season certainly know as well.
It’s all pay for play, and it’s OK if things have changed from what we’ve mostly know as college football in recent years. Things do change, after all.
Conference alignments change. Playing rules change. Roster sizes change. So much seems in flux anymore, but at least we’re honest about those other changes.
We acknowledge the 18 teams in the formerly Midwest-only conference. We’ve long been OK with the forward pass. Or even altered blocking rules along the offensive line.
It’s just time, maybe long past time, to embrace pay for play.
If that could happen in what remains of the college football season, the off-field things would make a little more sense.
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