West Shore Home and MITER Brands are taking advantage of the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s (NCAA) name, image and likeness (NIL) policy through a partnership with Penn State University and its NIL collective, Lions Legacy Club. Involved entities say the partnership will provide businesses “new and creative opportunities” with university football players, while fostering a number of community-focused engagements.

Approved at the end of June 2021 by the NCAA Division 1 Board of Directors, the policy allows NCAA D1, D2 and D3 athletes to receive compensation for the use of their names, images and likenesses. Approximately half of the states in the U.S. have already passed legislation allowing student-athletes to receive compensation for NIL use.

Lions Legacy Club says the two-year, seven-figure partnership with West Shore Home and MITER Brands will foster community-focused engagements, tailored Penn State football experiences, exclusive events, strategic marketing, branding agreements and more for football players.

West Shore Home, headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pa., is a technology-enabled home remodeling services provider. MITER Brands is a family of door and window brands, including MI Windows and Doors and Milgard Windows and Doors.

“This corporate partnership is the first NIL deal of its kind at Penn State. It looks beyond the standard student-athlete brand deals to provide a more holistic approach,” says Lions Legacy Club. “Through this innovative deal, both brands can tap into new and creative opportunities with Penn State football student-athletes. This includes game-day activities, student-athlete brand unveils, philanthropic initiatives, jobsite appearances, client visits and multiple advertising formats around the region.”

B.J. Werzyn, West Shore Home president, and MITER Brands CEO, Matt DeSoto, are both graduates of Penn State University, with histories of supporting the football program. In 2022, West Shore engaged in an NIL partnership with running back Nick Singleton, while MITER Brands has sponsored Penn State sports since 2017. Lions Legacy Club says the new partnership is the “next evolution” of the companies’ commitment to the football program and its student athletes.

“As a business leader, I focus on building scalable and sustainable programs. As an alumnus, Penn State football and its future success is near and dear to me,” Werzyn says. “Lions Legacy, working in concert with Penn State athletics, and following NCAA guidelines, delivers a scalable NIL model that creates business marketing programs with football student-athletes. I am thrilled to team up with MITER Brands to expand on our NIL work.”

“The best relationships, in business and in life, are built on mutually beneficial outcomes,” DeSoto says. “Lions Legacy Club has created an NIL program that helps support the long-term success of Penn State football and its student-athletes, while providing unique business value for sponsors. I am excited to partner with West Shore Home and Lions Legacy to support a program where everyone wins.”

According to Lions Legacy Club, the partnership’s philanthropic component “steps beyond typical NIL programming” through a direct relationship with its nonprofit partner, the BPS Foundation.