Student athlete personal branding and the impact of name, image, and likeness (NIL) legislation.

Abstract

This study integrates perspectives from professionals working within college sports as well as student athletes to provide a deeper understanding of the aspects that comprise and impact athletes’ individual branding efforts at the collegiate level. In addition, the study offers insight into how the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) proposed name, image, and likeness (NIL) legislation will affect personal branding among student athletes. The data was collected through a series of one-on-one virtual interviews with both student athletes and current/former employees within college athletics. Different interview guides were developed for the two subgroups of interviewees. Also, a handful of questions were tailored to the interviewees based on their background and particular role within their sport or athletic department. Overall, the questions touched on personal branding efforts, social media use, education surrounding the name, image, and likeness (NIL) legislation, personal branding, and the impact of personal branding and NIL on recruiting within college athletics. By combining the two perspectives, this study offers insight into athlete personal branding at the college level and how athletic departments have responded to the rise in prominence of individualized branding among college athletes. Furthermore, the interview data and analysis further advance the definition of a brand and the elements that comprise a personal brand. Read more