Washington's Michael Penix Jr. uses NIL for 'Big Penix Energy' shirts

Five days after Washington defeated then-No. 11 Michigan State 39-28 behind quarterback Michael Penix Jr.‘s 397 passing yards and four touchdowns, Washington’s new signal-caller signed an NIL deal with Seattle-based apparel brand Simply Seattle. Six days after the win, the printing process started for the shirts.

“Big Penix Energy,” the shirt reads, where the “g” is Penix’s jersey number “9,” which is also displayed in the Roman numerals “IX” in his last name.

“After last week’s game against Michigan State, obviously the phrase went pretty viral and he had interest in making a shirt,” Simply Seattle Marketing and Communications Director Joe Munson told On3 Friday afternoon.

It’s the latest example of a college athlete capitalizing upon an impressive performance through a quick-turnaround NIL opportunity. The first batch of shirts arrived just before Noon PDT Friday, just in time for Washington’s next game. The Huskies host the Stanford Cardinal in a game that kicks off at 10:30 p.m. EDT Saturday.

“It’s been a quick process but, you know, with the nature of these things, you gotta strike while the iron’s hot,” Munson said.

Penix, who transferred to Washington after spending four seasons at Indiana, has 1,079 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and just one interception through Washington’s 3-0 start. The Huskies enter Week 4 ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 poll and Penix has received some early-season Heisman Trophy buzz.

🚨 BREAKING: Simply Seattle x Michael Penix

We're PUMPED to announce our NIL partnership with the Huskies' QB on the OFFICIAL Big Penix Energy t-shirt.

Tees are printing tomorrow evening. Dawgs fans – see you Saturday: https://t.co/G5vA3P9WoQ pic.twitter.com/gQWNqQUTxr

— simplyseattle (@simplyseattle) September 22, 2022

Michael Penix Jr. to profit more than other licensed apparel deals

The “Big Penix Energy” shirts are available for $24.99 on Simply Seattle’s website.

As noted on Twitter by sports and IP attorney Darren Heitner, Penix will receive 50% of the profit from the shirts, Munson confirmed. “It’s super important,” Munson said.

For reference, Heitner previously tweeted that athletes can receive only between $3 and $6 from the sale of a single replica jersey or shirt through some companies that facilitate group licensing.

Based on those rates, Munson said Penix stands to earn roughly twice as much from the sale of a “Big Penix Energy” shirt that retails for roughly $25 compared to what an athlete will earn from the sale of a $140 replica jersey sold through Fanatics.

“Visibility and us making a little bit of money is great but we want to be that partner in the community that people always want to turn to for this stuff,” Munson said. “So anytime someone in Seattle has an idea and they need a partner for it, we want to be that person and we love doing stuff like this for student-athletes and professional athletes, community partners, all that stuff. That’s very, very big.

“This is a great deal for Mike.”

Simply Seattle quickly placed a second order

Based on the initial response from customers, the NIL deal could be lucrative both in terms of Penix’s profit share and the total sales. At 11:28 a.m. PST Friday, Simply Seattle’s Twitter account announced that the first batch of “Big Penix Energy” shirts had arrived.

“I know we’re already placing a second order,” Munson told On3 around 11:43 a.m. PST. “I know the first order — we’re going to need more than just that.

“It’s been busy and the reception has been amazing. I can’t wait for a bunch of people decked out in these for tomorrow’s game.”

Against Michigan State, Penix led two touchdown drives that took just four plays. One lasted just 57 seconds of game action, while the other required just a minute and nine seconds. A third took less than 90 seconds.

Maybe it’s fitting that he partnered with an apparel company that can operate the same way.

“A big part of our business model is these quick-strike, viral moment in Seattle sports shirts,” Munson said. “So there’s a few big ones like this every year.”

A recent example is a Seattle Mariners shirt where the franchise’s nickname is spelled, “Marinahzz,” in a reference to the way a New York Yankees fan said the word in a thick accent on TikTok.

“I think this deal with Mike is going to be a real catalyst for continuing to grow just our involvement with NIL and doing more stuff with student-athletes,” Munson said. “It’s been a fun space to be in and it’s still very new, it’s still very fresh. Everyone’s still getting the hang of it but I think this is going to be an awesome, awesome way to dip our toes a little farther into the space.”