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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Happy Valley United Launches More To Give and Hires General Manager to Support Penn State Men’s Basketball

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (11/6/23) — Happy Valley United, the NIL collective supporting all 31 teams and over 800 Penn State student-athletes, is launching More To Give, a club within the collective dedicated to securing NIL opportunities for the men’s basketball team. In conjunction, Happy Valley United has hired Pat Flannery as the club’s general manager to spearhead development and fundraising efforts for men’s basketball.

A legendary college basketball student-athlete and coach, Flannery hails from Pottsville, PA and played college basketball at Bucknell, captaining the team for two seasons. He returned to his alma mater as the head coach in 1994 and retired as the second-winningest coach in program history. Under his guidance, the Bison won 234 games and became the first team from the Patriot League to win an NCAA Tournament game when they defeated Kansas during the 2004-05 season. Upon retirement, Flannery served as Bucknell’s Senior Development Officer. He also served as Lebanon Valley College’s head coach from 1989-1994, where he won a Division III national championship and coached current Penn State men’s basketball coach Mike Rhoades.

“I’m thrilled to join Happy Valley United and help these student-athletes maximize their name, image and likeness opportunities,” Flannery said. “Growing up and working close to Penn State, I know how special this place is. To make an impact on players in this way and work alongside one of my former players and a longtime friend in Coach Rhoades to help build his program, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

More To Give pays respect to teams of the past that called the Bryce Jordan Center home. It is a battle cry that encompasses accountability, work ethic and selflessness both on and off the court. Former Nittany Lion John Harrar coined the phrase while facing adversity throughout his five years donning the blue and white.

“Penn State men’s basketball molded me into the player and person I am today,” Harrar said. “As an alum of the program and university, we all have critical roles in keeping our men’s basketball program at a championship level. It starts with NIL and giving our players an incredible experience within the Penn State community. Players, coaches and fans alike, we all have More To Give.”

Led by first-year head coach Mike Rhoades and a staff that includes program alum Joe Crispin, the Nittany Lions still embrace the More To Give mantra.

“NIL is an incredibly important part of building our program to win championships,” Rhoades said. “We have made our program better with the addition of Pat Flannery. He knows what it takes to build a winning and sustainable program on and off court. His leadership in the area of program building and fundraising will be game changing for our program. I’m more than excited to get back with Pat and using our shared Pennsylvania ties to build something special.”

Since the inception of Happy Valley United, men’s basketball student-athletes have made a positive mark on the State College community. Men’s basketball student-athletes made connections at events for Housing Transitions, Centre Safe and the American Cancer Society. Now, through More To Give, there will be additional opportunities for student-athletes to capitalize on their NIL.

Donors, fans and businesses can channel their passion for Penn State men’s basketball in the following ways:

· Making a one-time tax-deductible contribution to the BPS Foundation earmarked to men’s basketball

· Signing up for a monthly or annual membership supporting men’s basketball on HappyValleyUnited.com  · Doing a business engagement with a specific student-athlete or the team

As part of the More To Give initiative, men’s basketball fans can start a contribution directed to the team through Happy Valley United. Exclusive benefits for Happy Valley United members, including content through HVU On Demand and merchandise, will be added soon.

The storied history of Penn State men’s basketball includes 10 appearances in the NCAA tournament for the Nittany Lions, including a trip to the Sweet Sixteen and the Final Four. The most recent appearance came last season when the blue and white made a run to the Big Ten Tournament Final and the second round of March Madness. In addition, Penn State owns two NIT Tournament titles.

To learn more about More To Give, visit our website — https://happyvalleyunited.com/mensbasketball

About Happy Valley United

Happy Valley United (HVU) is the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective supporting all 31 teams and 800-plus student-athletes at Penn State. Supporters, fans, and alumni who commit their support to HVU are pledging to maximize opportunities for student-athletes to build their brands and engage with the community. There are various ways to get involved, including corporate partnerships, memberships, and charitable contributions. HVU is powered by parent company Blueprint Sports. For more information about NIL partnerships with Penn State student-athletes, visit https://happyvalleyunited.com/ and follow @happyvalleyutd on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Media Contact

Alexis Yoder (alexis@happyvalleyunited.com)

Chelsea Vielhauer (cpv5026@psu.edu)

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Nate Brown

General Manager

Nate Brown is the General Manager of Zags Collective, leading the charge to help amplify the opportunities for the Gonzaga student-athletes through NIL partnerships with local charities, fans and businesses. With over a decade of experience in the professional sports industry and as a former business owner in Spokane, Nate is a seasoned professional who knows what it takes to succeed. Most recently, he served as the National Sales Director for a prominent west-coast real estate company, where he was responsible for driving growth and retention. With a deep understanding of sales and marketing, Nate brings a wealth of knowledge to the table and is always seeking innovative ways to drive revenue and create partnerships.With a passion for ensuring the success of student-athletes both on and off the field, Nate is dedicated to providing the necessary resources to keep Gonzaga competitive on the national stage. He understands the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships with the community and local businesses, and works to maximize opportunities for Gonzaga’s student-athletes. As the son of two Gonzaga alumni, including a father who was a baseball pitcher and also a coach for the school, Nate has a great connection to the university and a passion for ensuring its continued success. Outside of work, Nate enjoys spending time with family, including his wife Jessica and their 16-year-old daughter Brooklynn and 12-year-old son Marcus. When not working or spending time with family, you can find Nate at any one of the amazing golf courses in Spokane, honing his swing!

Mike Smith

General Manager

Mike Smith joined Micconope 1851 in March 2023 and is excited to be the General Manager and looks forward to working with Blueprint Sports increase NIL revenue generation for Florida State University student-athletes. Smith comes to Micconope 1851 from Catawba College where he held the title as the Senior Director of Athletics, Development. Prior to working in Athletics at Catawba College, Mike served as the Associate Athletics Director for External Relations at Charleston Southern University. Smith has an impressive background in the collegiate athletics industry, having held senior level development and corporate sponsorship sales roles at The University of Southern Mississippi, Limestone University, the Sun Belt Conference, Florida Atlantic University, and with multimedia rights-holders Tele South Communications at the University of Mississippi, Learfield Sports at UNC Chapel Hill, and with International Sports Properties at Georgia Tech. Smith is a graduate of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, and holds a master’s degree in Business Management from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In his new role here at Micconppe 1851, Smith will be responsible for raising major gifts for NIL deals as well as securing NIL corporate sponsorships for Florida State University student-athletes. Mike looks forward to helping ensure the FSU student-athletes have the resources and leadership opportunities to remain competitive nationally and positioned for success well beyond graduation. Mike is married to Katy Smith; the couple looks forward to relocating to Tallahassee, Florida, and becoming a part of the Micconope 1851 and Seminole family!

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