Sean Clifford clarifies position on 'unionization' report at Penn State

Quarterback Sean Clifford has clarified his position on forming a union with Nittany Lion teammates. Hours after a Friday afternoon Tweet saying Penn State players, led by Clifford, were “unionizing,” the sixth-year senior issued a statement insisting that isn’t the case.

Rather, having engaged in conversations regarding a more equitable arrangement for student-athletes in college football with multiple high-level stakeholders, Clifford said those conversations were not “on behalf of a union or as a union member.”

Sean Clifford’s full statement:

“As a student-athlete at Penn State, and a member of the football team, I have had very positive and open discussions with Coach Franklin, Director of Athletics Pat Kraft and Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren about the changing landscape of college sports and how those changes are, and will continue to, impact student-athletes. 

“It is important to state that my dialogues with my coach, athletics director and commissioner were conducted as a student-athlete. To characterize my dialogues as being on behalf of a union or as a union member would be inaccurate. 

“In the last 90 days, the CFBPA presented interesting ideas to me and my teammates with the goal of joining their college football players’ association. However, at this time, I along with many players are committed to working at the campus and conference level to address the complexities of collegiate athletics for student-athletes. 

“I am grateful to be a part of team, university and conference where our leadership is truly open to listening and learning from its students to further strengthen and safeguard our academic and competitive experiences. Collectively we recognize it will take forward-thinking teamwork and time to address our evolving industry and I believe we are all committed to working together to do it.”

Next steps

Following the release of the initial Tweet, later walked back, Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft issued a statement regarding the report.

Saying that he has both spoken with Clifford, as well as facilitated conversation between Clifford and Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren, Kraft echoed the sentiment that productive pathways could be found in the evolving landscape of major college football.

Pat Kraft full statement:

“Over the course of several conversations in recent weeks with Sean Clifford, he has shared with me his desire to explore pathways to improve the student-athlete experience for all student-athletes in the Big Ten. Sean is a tremendous young man who is educating himself on some of the major issues in intercollegiate athletics.

“Last week, I suggested to him, that I connect him with Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren to have a broader conversation on the student-athlete experience, and I hope they both have found those conversations to be beneficial. I am supportive of – and take great pride in – student-athletes using their voices to affect positive change in all areas of life.”

Next steps

The founder and CEO of Limitless NIL, an agency formed this spring with brother Liam and former teammate Aeneas Hawkins, Clifford has been especially active in the entrepreneurial space this offseason.

In an exclusive interview with BWI this summer, Clifford, speaking about the genesis of his business venture, offered clues as to the new landscape created by name, image, and likeness laws that many student-athletes are now attempting to navigate.

“I think the problem is that not everybody is in it for the athlete. I think there are a lot of alternative motives around it. Not to say that I don’t want my business to be the greatest agency in NIL, I do. But I want it to be the greatest agency in NIL not because it makes the most money, but because it makes the most money and we are helping athletes in the back end,” Clifford said. “It’s not just about them making a million dollars. It’s not. That’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to give them all the extra things that you don’t get through sport.”