Baylor study examines NIL's impact on student-athletes' faith

SALT LAKE CITY — A team of Baylor University researchers is studying how name, image and likeness deals affect student-athletes — and their faith.

"Virtue on the Market: Navigating Character and Competition in the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Era of College Athletics" will examine how NIL opportunities affect student-athletes' "experiences, character development and well-being," according to a press release.

That includes their faith, particularly that of Christian student-athletes.

Paul Putz, a former student-athlete and director for the Faith & Sports Institute at Baylor's George W. Truett Theological Seminary, will collaborate on the project.

"We haven't thought deeply about a distinctly Christian way of approaching NIL, and this is a chance for us to do that," Putz told the Baylor Lariat. "This is research that will strengthen and provide information and evidence-based data for colleges across the country."

The current state of NIL

The NIL landscape has undergone upheaval in recent years, with 2026 being especially notable. The SCORE Act, which would have created a national NIL standard, was pulled from the House in May. The Protect College Sports Act passed the Senate in September with bipartisan support but still needs approval from the House.

The legislation proposes regulating college athletics with a national framework that addresses NIL rights, athlete compensation, transfer limits, revenue-sharing caps and more.

The current NIL landscape is patchy and varies by state and local rules.

The cost of compensating college athletes has steadily risen in the past few years. The Deseret News recently reported that per-player compensation in the EA Sports College Football video game grew from $600 to $1,500 in three years.

In an op-ed for the Deseret News, BYU President C. Shane Reese addressed this explosive growth and advocated for the Protect College Sports Act.

"At present, unregulated agents, coaching carousels, unenforced rules around revenue sharing, NIL, and a revolving-door transfer portal threaten what actually makes college sports great: its educational purpose," Reese wrote.

"Faith-based institutions like Brigham Young University — with a distinct emphasis on service and learning — must be especially advocatory for a renewed focus on integrity, mission, character and the educational aspects of college athletics. But for real progress, leaders of good conscience from across the academy must work with public officials to ensure college football remains something more than a farm league for the NFL."

Faith and NIL

As the NIL landscape changes, Baylor's study — conducted in partnership with Baylor Athletics — aims to support student-athletes and shape student development.

"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, an associate professor of sociology at Baylor. "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."

The study will follow around 250 student-athletes at the private Christian university over the course of two years, Upenieks told the Baylor Lariat. According to the press release, the research will analyze how market pressures, team dynamics and athletic demands shape character virtues (including grit, empathy and accountability). Researchers will also investigate how student-athletes' demands affect "mental well-being, meaning in life and overall flourishing."

Researchers hope their work will help universities across the country better understand how market pressures affect the moral and psychological development of their athletes.

"What makes this project especially meaningful is its connection to Baylor's Christian commitment to the development of the whole person," said Kenny Boyd, executive senior associate athletics director of student-athlete services at Baylor.

"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."

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