YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Penguin Collective came out of the gate strong in its first year and improved upon its efforts in its second year.
The organization raised $489,500 for Youngstown State University student-athletes in its first year, and expects to sharply surpass that figure in 2024, according to Ty Petrey, operations director.
“We have raised $230,000 this year, with an additional $300,000 anticipated, totaling $530,000,” Petrey says.
The money is broken down into four pools. For 2024, the anticipated totals are $325,000 for men’s basketball, $190,500 for football, $9,500 for women’s basketball, and $5,000 for softball.
The Penguin Collective was formed to raise money – from companies, organizations and individuals – and channel it to YSU athletes for the use of their name, image or likeness in marketing or advertising.
It was formed in the wake of the NCAA’s approval of the compensation system. Like all of its counterparts at other schools, it is independent of YSU.
The Penguin Collective was astoundingly successful in its first year. It raised over $310,000 for basketball, which made it the 13th best across all Division I men’s basketball teams.
Its dominance continues this year, outpacing the other teams in the leagues in which the basketball and football squads play.
“We are the top NIL collective in both the Horizon League [basketball] and the Missouri Valley Conference [football],” says Petrey, who is director of business development at HD Growth Partners, a financial consultant and advisory firm based in Liberty.
In 2023, the average deal for student-athletes at YSU was $7,114, which is significantly higher than the averages in comparable conferences.
For example, the average for all positions at Football Championship Series football teams in 2023 was $3,597.
The average figure for all teams in the Missouri Valley Conference was $3,174. For the Football Bowl Series division Mid-American Conference, which includes Kent State University and the University of Akron, it was $2,353.
For YSU basketball programs – men’s and women’s combined – the average deal was $24,624, compared to the Horizon League average of $1,124. The basketball pool was paced by a $200,000 donation from SERVPRO Team Dobson.
More than 120 YSU athletes benefited from NIL deals in 2023.
Surprising Success
The quick success of the Penguin Collective surprised even Petrey.
“We’ve grown at a rate that we weren’t expecting,” he says.
Petrey stresses that the benefits of participating in NIL is a two-way street.
“It helps [businesses] with their own name, image and likeness,” he said during a June press conference. “Our job is helping them get their name out there.”
Quite a few YSU athletes can be seen in ads on every media platform, including television and social media. “They get compensated for their marketing and influencer services,” Petrey says, explaining the Penguin Collective acts as a representative for the athletes in helping them sign deals.
Randy Swogger, general manager of the Collective’s men’s basketball fund, says the service is reaching out to more and larger companies throughout the region.
Swogger is working with Helix Ventures, a Cleveland-based marketing firm, and will soon announce several new NIL partnerships with companies such as Smucker’s.
The players appreciate the money flowing into their pockets. “It lets me focus on basketball and school and not have to worry about other things,” said YSU basketball player Gabriel Dynes at the June press event.
Marketing Service
To make it easier for businesses to take part in NIL deals with players, the Penguin Collective works with Palo Creative, a Boardman-based marketing company. Palo creates marketing packages tailored to each company, ranging from social media to TV spots.
Businesses can also sponsor Penguin Collective events throughout the year, allowing them to showcase their support for YSU student-athletes.
According to Petrey, several businesses have already established major connections with YSU student-athletes, including SERVPRO Team Dobson, Fred Martin Ford, PGT Trucking, HD Growth Partners, Gault Heating & Cooling, Chick-fil-A in Boardman, the Rich Center for Autism, United Way, Project MKC, and Bolt Construction.
Partnerships with businesses can take many forms.
Under a deal with Penguin City Brewing, a percentage of sales of Penguin City Light beer goes to the Collective. The Penguin Collective will kick off this partnership at an Aug. 24 event at the downtown brewery dubbed “Rock the Lot II: Reveal the Can.”
The new Penguin City Light can will be unveiled at the event, which will be a tailgate style rally for all YSU teams before the start of the season.
Rock the Lot II will feature food trucks and live music by Ohayo, Larry Elefante, and the main act, No Funk No Justice. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet members of the football and basketball teams. The event will include tailgate party games and other activities.
Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or in advance at ThePenguinCollective.org.
The Collective is also working with Swilled Dog Distillery of West Virginia and will launch a line of bourbon during the holiday season.
Fans who want to get involved can subscribe to memberships that offer access to exclusive content and events.
Business Owners
Shelly LaBerto, owner operator of Chick-Fil-A in Tiffany Square Plaza in Boardman, has been involved with the Penguin Collective from the start. But she has been boosting Penguin athletics for at least 12 years.
She recently signed contracts with the Collective totaling $10,000 and has given out at least $10,000 in food from her restaurant in feeding the Penguin Club, and also in the form of coupon giveaways at football and basketball games. She also has signage at Stambaugh Stadium and Beeghly Center.
This season, she will take part in her first NIL deal in which players are directly involved in a marketing effort.
“We’re doing an autograph signing in November at our store with the players,” LaBerto says.
She says her marketing efforts with YSU athletics “works tremendously,” and also provides a service to the university.
“I see so many people who support the teams coming into my restaurant, bringing the coupons in,” she says. “It’s a win-win situation for me and YSU.”
Small business can also take part in Penguin Collective efforts.
Trávon Eley, owner-operator of Tra’s Gourmet Sandwiches food truck, has signed a deal with Penguin football players Beau Brungard, Brandon Serrano and Tyshon King, with total compensation of $200 apiece plus food and merchandise vouchers.
“We shot a 20-second commercial in which the players are talking about where to go get something to eat,” Eley says. The players walk up to his food truck, order food, and say a few words. The ad will soon be used on social media platforms. The players will also be seen in a billboard for his food truck.
Eley sees it as an effective form of advertising that also helps the players.
“It’s a trendy type of thing,” he says, “and we saw an opportunity to jump in and help the players. They have football all week. So they can’t get jobs.”