Athlete Empowerment Ignited.
Onward Setonia Formed To Develop Seton Hall Student-Athlete NIL Opportunities
The advisory group of Seton Hall University alumni Mike Frungillo ‘00, Matt Regan ‘86 and Jerry Walker ‘03 have announced that a new collective dedicated to the success of Seton Hall student-athletes has formed. The group introduces Onward Setonia with a mission of empowering Seton Hall University student-athletes by providing them with education, resources, and opportunities to amplify their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) profiles and secure NIL deals.
Onward Setonia, which has the full support of Seton Hall Athletics, has been formed as a result of the merging of Hall Ball Events and Hall Hands on Deck, two collectives created in 2022. All funds raised and resources provided to the two collective will now be dedicated to Onward Setonia.
“We are proud to introduce Onward Setonia as a unified collective made up of dedicated Pirates fans and supporters,” said Frungillo. “This exciting merger will strengthen our purpose of providing the necessary resources to create NIL opportunities for Seton Hall student-athletes. We are ready to work with Seton Hall Athletics to create a great experience for all.”
Onward Setonia operational support includes Eric Liebler, a pioneer in Seton Hall’s NIL strategy, having stepped up to create Hall Ball Events as the first NIL group to support Seton Hall student-athletes and was endorsed by the University, running numerous meaningful activations within the community and brokering student-athlete endorsement deals. More recently, the Hall Hands on Deck collective was also formed by Mike Walsh to help rally additional support.
Moving forward, Onward Setonia will continue to utilize Liebler to lead event planning and execution for student-athlete NIL activations while leaning on his 20+ years working in the sports marketing space to secure student-athlete endorsements deals. Walsh will also assist in leading crowdfunding efforts.
“Onward Setonia is an exciting new entity that all of our Pirates fans can rally behind and support,” Seton Hall Director of Athletics Bryan Felt said. “Thank you to Michael, Matt and Jerry for stepping up and continuing to support their alma mater and recognizing the importance of the burgeoning collegiate NIL landscape. A huge thank you to Eric for being a leader in our NIL strategy, a steward for delivering NIL opportunities to our student-athletes and doing so much over the last year plus to get us to today’s exciting launch. Thank you also to Mike for the work he has done in bringing additional Pirate fans on board through the outreach of his collective.”
Starting immediately, alumni, fans, and businesses can direct their passion to support Seton Hall student-athletes by making a one-time contribution, purchasing a monthly subscription, attending an Onward Setonia event, having their business conduct an NIL engagement or partnering with Onward Setonia through sponsorship.
“As we have been saying to Pirates fans across the globe, in today’s collegiate landscape, supporting student-athletes and their ability to earn NIL opportunities is critical to the success of our department,” said Mike McBride, Seton Hall’s Deputy Athletics Director for Revenue Generation, NIL & Strategic Initiatives. “We hope we can count on Pirate Nation to make their mark and help Onward Setonia thrive.”
Onward Setonia will also be dedicated to providing supporters meaningful events across a 12-month calendar, designed to reach all segments of Seton Hall’s support network.
Adding to the existing line of student-athlete apparel, located on Athlete’s Thread and the Seton Hall Bookstore, Onward Setonia will be introducing new and exciting product and experiences available for purchase, including unique quick turn merchandise celebrating special moments in Seton Hall Athletics.
Fans can get all their Onward Setonia information at OnwardSetonia.com and by following Onward Setonia’s social channels on Facebook and Instagram @onwardsetonia.
