Baylor Studies NIL Deals' Effect on Athlete Faith

A two-year Baylor University study will track about 250 student-athletes to examine how name, image, and likeness deals shape their character and well-being.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Financial Aid

Baylor Studies NIL Deals' Effect on Athlete Faith

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Do you think big money in college sports is hurting student-athletes' well-being?

Baylor University researchers have launched a study titled "Virtue on the Market" to examine how name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals affect student-athletes' character and faith. The project will follow around 250 student-athletes over two years and is conducted in partnership with Baylor Athletics.

Why it matters

Researchers hope the work will help universities understand how market pressures affect the moral and psychological development of athletes. As NIL compensation expands, the findings could inform how Baylor supports its student-athletes.

The study will track around 250 student-athletes over two years, while per-player compensation in the EA Sports College Football video game rose from $600 to $1,500 in three years. Researchers have not yet reported any results on how these market pressures affect athletes' well-being or character.

The players

Baylor University

A private Christian research university in Waco, Texas, whose researchers are conducting the study in partnership with Baylor Athletics.

Laura Upenieks

An associate professor of sociology at Baylor University who serves as the principal investigator on the NIL faith study.

Paul Putz

A director for the Faith & Sports Institute at Baylor's George W. Truett Theological Seminary who is collaborating on the project.

The details

Laura Upenieks, an associate professor of sociology at Baylor and the principal investigator, is leading the project with Paul Putz of the Faith & Sports Institute at Baylor's George W. Truett Theological Seminary. The research will analyze how market pressures, team dynamics, and athletic demands shape character virtues, as well as how these demands affect mental well-being and meaning in life.

May 2026: The SCORE Act was pulled from the House.
September 2026: The Protect College Sports Act passed the Senate with bipartisan support and still needs House approval.
November 9, 2026: Baylor announced the NIL faith study.
Over the next two years: Researchers will follow about 250 student-athletes.

Culture Shift

The Protect College Sports Act passed the Senate in September 2026 with bipartisan support but still needs House approval, while the SCORE Act was pulled from the House in May 2026. Baylor's study adds a personal-development lens to a policy debate that has so far centered on compensation rules.

The study's findings could shape how Baylor and other universities support athletes as NIL deals become a larger part of college sports. Student-athletes at Baylor are the direct participants whose experiences the project is designed to document.

The takeaway

Universities weighing NIL deals may need to consider how market pressures affect athletes' well-being alongside their compensation. Baylor's two-year study offers a research-based look at that question as it unfolds.

What happens next

The Protect College Sports Act still needs House approval after passing the Senate in September 2026, and the Baylor study will follow its roughly 250 participants over two years.