Penn State freshman trio set for Philadelphia-area autograph signings

Three of Penn State football’s most electrifying true freshmen are spending their final day of spring break in the Philadelphia area. Running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and linebacker Abdul Carter, are all set to sign autographs on Sunday morning at the Philadelphia Sportscard and Memorabilia Show. 

The event is being held at The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center from March 10-12. Singleton, Allen, and Carter are all set to sign autographs on Sunday, March 12, for a one-hour session running from 11 a.m. to noon. 

Of Penn State’s NIL endeavors, the show represents the most high-profile event to feature the participation of some of the Nittany Lions’ biggest stars. And the other featured athletes set to appear at Sunday’s bolster the notion, with a plethora of Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies, and Sixers stars, past and present, also arranged to be on hand.

Event details

Admission Sunday is set for $15, with prices ranging for all three players for both photograph and signing opportunities. 

According to the site, Singleton is appearing courtesy of his deal with Fanatics coming off his Big Ten Freshman of the Year performance in 2022. Including a disclaimer that all items must be officially licensed for the Nittany Lions’ star running back to sign, options range from an autograph on a flat item or mini-helmet for $49, a professional photo op for $59, and a premium autograph for large flat items or full-sized helmets, jerseys, footballs, or other equipment. 

Further, Allen’s options range from a digital photo op or the signing of smaller items for $39, with premium items autographed for $49. And Carter, hailing from Philadelphia’s La Salle College High School, rounds out Penn State’s contingent at the event with digital photo ops and all items available for an autograph at $29. 

Also, all three players have options for an inscription, maxed out at three words. It can be had for an additional fee of $20 for Singleton and Allen, and $15 for Carter.

Penn State NIL model in action

The appearances fall in line with a model Penn State head coach James Franklin has pushed to implement for the program in its approach to NIL since its onset. 

So, working to foster an environment in which star players and performers can take advantage of lucrative opportunities, on top of a baseline of earnings available to all players in the program, the autograph signing serves as the latest example of that model coming to fruition. 

“You’d like to be able to have a baseline that everybody’s getting. And then, it’s based on natural production and what the market says. Not creating a false market,” Franklin said. “You’re the starting quarterback, or you’re the starting middle linebacker, or you’re the face of the program on offense or defense or special teams. Because of that, the community, the state, the region, and some national stuff based on our alumni base and things like that, people are going to want to work with certain players more. In a true marketplace, (that) is how it really works. I think that’s probably the right model.”

Next steps

Should the expectations for Singleton, Allen, and Carter continue to be met and exceeded following their sterling debut seasons with the Nittany Lions, those opportunities are only likely to expand in the coming seasons. 

All are returning to campus for the start of spring practices next week. And Penn State is aiming to see all three pieces of the trio continue to stand out as heavy contributors to big aspirations ahead of the 2023 season.