Virtue on the Market: Researchers Study Character, Well-being in NIL Era of College Athletics

Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-709-5959
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How can collegiate athletics continue to promote both excellence and character in an era where athletic achievement and economic opportunity are increasingly intertwined? A multidisciplinary team of Baylor University researchers believe the answers will help shape the future of student-athlete development for years to come.

Through a major research grant from the John Templeton Foundation, Baylor University is set to launch an innovative interdisciplinary study examining how Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities are transforming the experiences, character development and well-being of collegiate student-athletes.

The project, Virtue on the Market: Navigating Character and Competition in the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Era of College Athletics, will explore how student-athletes navigate the intersection of competition, personal branding, financial opportunity and moral development in one of the most significant periods of change in the history of collegiate athletics. The study will be conducted in partnership with Baylor Athletics and will position Baylor as a national leader in research focused on character formation and flourishing in sport.

"College athletics has long been viewed as a setting where virtues such as perseverance, courage, humility and accountability can be cultivated," said principal investigator Laura Upenieks, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology whose research focuses extensively on well-being, virtue, religion and human flourishing. "The NIL era creates new opportunities and challenges that make it especially important to understand how student-athletes develop and express those virtues in their daily lives. Our goal is to generate evidence that can help institutions support student-athletes as whole persons."

"College athletics has long been viewed as a setting where virtues such as perseverance, courage, humility and accountability can be cultivated. The NIL era creates new opportunities and challenges that make it especially important to understand how student-athletes develop and express those virtues in their daily lives. Our goal is to generate evidence that can help institutions support student-athletes as whole persons." - Laura Upenieks, Ph.D.

Balancing the demands

Since NIL policies took effect over the last few years, college athletes have gained unprecedented opportunities to build personal brands and earn compensation through sponsorships, endorsements and other business ventures. Although these changes have created new opportunities, they also have raised important questions about identity, teamwork, motivation and character formation. Baylor's research team seeks to understand how athletes balance the demands of being competitors, teammates, students and entrepreneurs simultaneously. 

The proposed study will follow approximately 250 Baylor student-athletes from multiple sports through surveys and innovative day-to-day assessments that capture experiences both during competition seasons and in the off-season. Researchers will examine how market pressures, team dynamics and athletic demands shape virtues such as courage, grit, humility, empathy, patience and accountability, while also investigating links to mental well-being, meaning in life and overall flourishing. The research will provide the first comprehensive picture of how market pressures affect moral and psychological growth in college sports. 

Upenieks will work alongside co-investigator Elizabeth Bounds, Ph.D. ’26, assistant professor of psychology at Hope College and a scholar of virtue development and self-worth. Both Upenieks and Bounds are former collegiate student-athletes and coaches. Sarah Schnitker, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience, associate vice provost for interdisciplinary research initiatives and director of Baylor Research in Growth and Human Thriving Science (BRIGHTS), rounds out the core research team.

The project also draws on the expertise of another former college student-athlete, Paul Putz, Ph.D., assistant professor of Christianity and sports, The Harold and Dottie Riley Chair in Sports Ministry and Chaplaincy and director for the Faith & Sports Institute at Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Putz’s scholarship on the relationship between Christianity, character formation and big-time athletics will help connect the study's findings to broader theological and historical conversations about sport and human flourishing. The project includes the collaboration of Kenny Boyd, executive senior associate athletics director of student-athlete services at Baylor, whose partnership will provide critical insight into the realities that student-athletes face in today's NIL environment. 

For Bounds, the project presents a unique opportunity to connect virtue science with real-world questions facing young adults today. 

“Athletes are navigating increasingly complex environments that require them to manage public visibility, performance expectations, relationships and financial opportunities,” she said. “This research will help us better understand the pathways that contribute to thriving and moral growth amid those challenges.”

Developing the whole person

The grant also aligns with Baylor's distinctive mission of integrating academic excellence, Christian faith and holistic student development. 

“What makes this project especially meaningful is its connection to Baylor's Christian commitment to the development of the whole person," Boyd said. "As student-athletes navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with NIL, we want to better understand how virtues can continue to flourish alongside athletic and professional success. The findings will help inform how we support student-athletes at Baylor and across collegiate athletics.” 

Through collaborations with Baylor Athletics, the Faith & Sports Institute and scholars across multiple disciplines, the project aims to generate new knowledge that will benefit universities, coaches, athletic administrators, policymakers and student-athletes nationwide, while weaving together key elements of Baylor’s strategic plan.

“This project exemplifies the creative ways faculty, staff and administrators across campus are collaborating to integrate the four foundational pillars of the Baylor in Deeds strategic plan,” Schnitker said. “The team is conducting impactful research related to our Power 4 athletics program to understand how we might better create transformational experiences for student-athletes to build character in a distinctive Christian environment.”

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.

ABOUT THE JOHN TEMPLETON FOUNDATION

Founded in 1987, the John Templeton Foundation supports interdisciplinary research.
and catalyzes conversations that inspire awe and wonder. We are working to create a world where people are curious about the wonders of the universe, free to pursue lives of meaning and purpose, and motivated by great and selfless love. With an endowment of $4 billion and annual giving of approximately $150 million, the Foundation ranks among the 30 largest grantmaking foundations in the United States. Headquartered outside Philadelphia, our philanthropic activities have engaged all major faith traditions and extended to more than 60 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.templeton.org.