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DOI

https://doi.org/10.51221/sc.jiia.2026.19.1.17

Abstract

Derived from a larger study, this article examines Player Development Personnel (PDPs) in NCAA Power 4 (P4) conferences as they support athlete identity development and navigate role evolution during the NIL implementation era. Although academic advisors and support staff have long contributed to athlete development, limited scholarship has examined how PDPs understand their professional identities, responsibilities, and institutional constraints in NIL-era athletics. Guided by the Narrative, Identity, and Liminality Model (NILM), MNF, and institutional logics, this study situates PDP work within an ecosystem shaped by commercialization, racialized narratives, and organizational expectations (McLean & Syed, 2015; Southall et al., 2008). Semi-structured life story interviews with 11 PDPs across five programs were analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Findings suggest that PDPs function as cultural brokers who support athletes’ academic, identity, and life-course development while negotiating institutional logics, resource constraints, and market-oriented priorities. Further, there is a need to formalize PDP roles and align institutional priorities with holistic approaches to athlete development.

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