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Brand Academy Partners with Penn State Legend Lavar Arrington and DistruptU PSU

Partnership will provide student-athletes NIL opportunities with iHeart Radio and a platform for student-athletes to tell their story

 

DisruptU PSU is a company bringing brand opportunities to Penn State student-athletes with national capabilities. Our experts have more than 20+ years of experience in storytelling, marketing, and brand development. Our goal is to create a bridge through content and storytelling to connect the Penn State student-athletes to national sponsorship opportunities.

Our partnership with iHeart Radio will help lead the way in supporting these student-athletes through NIL opportunities. Using traditional media, digital marketing and in-person events, our team will develop and execute marketing campaigns to connect student-athletes to businesses, brands and charities using NIL. We will amplify and develop the personal brands of Penn State student-athletes.

Our core functions consist of:

  • Provide student-athletes with our NIL Playbook
  • Identify sponsorship opportunities.
  • Create purpose-driven content.
  • Marketing support
  • Events
  • Community and non-profit outreach

DisruptU PSU will be just that, disruptive to the way things have been done. Using creativity and innovative thinking, DisruptU PSU will bring an entirely different way of monetizing collegiate athletes. Visit https://www.disruptupsu.com for more company information.

About LaVar Arrington

LaVar Arrington is co-host of FOX Sports Radio’s weekday morning program, “2 Pros and a Cup of Joe” with Brady Quinn and Jonas Knox. Airing Monday through Friday from 6 to 9 a.m. ET on more than 350 stations nationwide, in addition to iHeartRadio, the program features the trio’s entertaining and thought-provoking conversation on the biggest headlines. Arrington also co-hosts the national weekend show and podcast “Up On Game,” along with TJ Houshmandzadeh and Plaxico Burress, which broadcasts live on Saturdays from 12 - 2 p.m. ET on 400 radio stations. In December 2021, Arrington partnered with FSR to launch the “Up on Game Presents” podcast feed. Among the podcasts is “Conversations with a Legend” hosted by Arrington. In the weekly podcast, he sits down with the best from the field, the stage and beyond, sharing intimate conversations featuring stories of legendary humans and their successful careers. Arrington first joined FSR as a weekend personality in February 2020. Prior to that, he hosted a radio program on WJFK-FM in Washington, D.C. for several years. During that time, he produced a multimedia blog for The Washington Post. In addition to his current radio duties, Arrington is a regular contributor on FS1. A former Penn State All-American Linebacker and College Football Hall of Famer, Arrington was the #2 pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. The three-time Pro Bowler played for the Washington Football Team from 2000 to 2005. He later joined the New York Giants before retiring in 2007.

About iHeartMedia, Inc.

iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT) is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month. It consists of three business groups.

With its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, the iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. Its leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms, including more than 860 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets nationwide; its National Sales organization; and the company’s live and virtual events business. It also includes Premiere Networks, the industry’s largest Networks business, with its Total Traffic and Weather Network (TTWN); and BIN: Black Information Network, the first and only 24/7 national and local all news audio service for the Black community. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics, targeting and attribution for its marketing partners with its Smart Audio suite of data targeting and attribution products using data from its massive consumer base.

The iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group includes the company’s fast-growing podcasting business -- iHeartMedia is the number one podcast publisher in downloads, unique listeners, revenue, and earnings -- as well as its industry-leading iHeartRadio digital service, available across more than 500 platforms and 2,000 devices; the company’s digital sites, newsletters, digital services and programs; its digital advertising technology companies; and its audio industry-leading social media footprint. The company’s Audio & Media Services reportable segment includes Katz Media Group, the nation’s largest media representation company, and RCS, the world's leading provider of broadcast and webcast software. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.

About the Brand Academy

The Penn State Brand Academy was created from the Wally Triplett Brand Academy Endowment, in partnership with the Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (Invent Penn State) and Intercollegiate Athletics. The Brand Academy is a comprehensive Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) program designed to provide Penn State student-athletes with the knowledge and skills necessary to maximize their personal brands. The Brand Academy is committed to creating a culture that encourages, nurtures, and rewards entrepreneurship in Penn State student-athletes while ensuring they have the necessary resources and skills to create, innovate, and dominate the collegiate NIL space and beyond.

The Brand Academy offers student-athlete’s educational programs and support focused on:

  • Personal brand building, now and for the future
  • Entrepreneurship and commercialization
  • Managing and monetizing endorsement opportunities through facilitation with local businesses and alumni.