Sowing Imbalance from the Start: Power, Role Socialization, and Graduate Assistants in NCAA Division I Power Four Athletic Departments

Authors

• Kaitlin Pericak, University of OklahomaFollow
• Daniel Springer, University of OklahomaFollow
• Brittany Washington, University of OklahomaFollow
• Rachel Silva, University of OklahomaFollow

DOI

https://doi.org/10.51221/sc.jiia.2026.19.1.9

Abstract

Graduate assistantships represent early entry points into intercollegiate athletics and serve as critical sites of professional socialization. Guided by Mead’s (1934) role theory and Foucault’s (1975/1977) concept of power, this study examined how graduate assistants (GAs) negotiated their dual roles as students and employees within Division I Power Four athletic departments. Semi-structured interviews with 10 current GAs revealed how organizational expectations normalized overwork, positioned the master’s degree as a compulsory credential, and sowed imbalance that shaped participants’ identities and well-being. Findings demonstrate how GAs internalized structured constraints and reproduced organizational norms, framing overwork as a necessary rite of passage. These insights extend scholarship on GA roles by highlighting the interplay of power, identity, and professional socialization. We argue that GA experiences reflect and reproduce the culture of overwork in intercollegiate athletics, underscoring the need for sustainable organizational practices to support the next generation of sport employees.

Recommended Citation

Pericak, Kaitlin; Springer, Daniel; Washington, Brittany; and Silva, Rachel (2026) "Sowing Imbalance from the Start: Power, Role Socialization, and Graduate Assistants in NCAA Division I Power Four Athletic Departments," Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics: Vol. 19: Iss. 1, Article 9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51221/sc.jiia.2026.19.1.9
Available at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/jiia/vol19/iss1/9