Lions Legacy Club forges NIL deal with West Shore Home, MITER Brands

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Lions Legacy Club, the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) for Penn State football, announced on Thursday an NIL partnership with West Shore Home and MITER brands. 

The two-year, seven-figure deal is aimed at providing opportunities for Penn State football student-athletes. West Shore Home and MITER Brands will serve as the official presenting sponsors of the Lions Legacy Club for the remainder of their partnership. 

West Shore Home President and CEO B.J. Werzyn and MITER Brands CEO Matt DeSoto are Penn State alums with a history of supporting the Penn State football program. In 2022, West Shore Home provided NIL opportunities through its partnership with running back Nick Singleton. MITER Brands has sponsored Penn State sports since 2017. 

The NIL partnership with Lions Legacy Club marks the evolution of both companies’ commitment to elevating Penn State football’s 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 said in a statement. “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 partnership is the first NIL deal of its kind at Penn State. This deal allows both brands to tap into opportunities with Nittany Lion student-athletes. This includes game-day activities, student-athlete brand unveils, philanthropic initiatives, jobsite appearances, client visits, and multiple advertising formats in the region. 

“The best relationships, in business and in life, are built on mutually beneficial outcomes,” said DeSoto. “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.” 

The philanthropic portion of the partnership steps beyond typical NIL programming by working directly with Lions Legacy Clubs’ national 501c3 partner, the BPS Foundation. It offers opportunities to participate in local and national causes with football team members, as well as game-day activities promoting charitable events conducted by the football student-athletes. 

Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft said the university appreciates West Shore Home and MITER’s support of the Nittany Lions‘ student-athletes and their NIL endeavors. 

“Penn State has such a strong alumni base and great leaders in their fields, and I love their willingness to impact our current student-athletes and propel our programs forward,” said Kraft. 

The Lions Legacy Club is operated by alumni including former Penn State football players Michael Mauti and Rich Stankewicz, former women’s lacrosse player Jennifer Ferrang, and businessman Brad Dillman. The group recently unveiled premier membership programs for fans while also facilitating student-athlete activations, including custom marketing campaigns, planned speaking engagements, autograph sessions, and participation in charity events.