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Date Available

5-4-2026

Year of Publication

2026

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Education

Department/School/Program

Educational Policy Studies and Eval

Faculty

Meghan J. Pifer

Faculty

Eric Weber

Abstract

The adoption of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policies has redefined the economic landscape of collegiate athletics, expanding opportunities for student-athletes and reshaping institutional authority. This dissertation nvestigates how NIL policy language at Division I universities frames economic possibilities for football student-athletes and sustains systems of governance. Through a Critical Discourse Analysis of policy documents from Power Four and mid-major institutions, this study reveals that NIL participation is persistently conditioned by institutional approval, compliance monitoring, and ambiguous definitions, especially regarding boosters and collectives.

Policy language presents NIL as an opportunity but embeds institutional control through oversight structures. The analysis further demonstrates football’s centrality in policy emphasis, reflecting its unique economic and cultural status. These findings show that NIL policies operate as instruments of governance, structuring how student-athletes engage with new economic rights within a shifting regulatory environment.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.264

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