Personal Branding in College Sports Beyond NIL Deals

Personal branding in sports is often reduced to NIL deals and monetization. This conversation goes deeper.

In this episode of the Powerful Personal Brand Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Nataliya Bredikhina, a sports management professor, former Division I athlete, and leading researcher in athlete branding and social media, to explore how personal branding shapes identity, opportunity, and mental resilience in college sports.

Drawing from academic research and lived experience, we reframe personal branding as a long-term skill set, not just a short-term revenue strategy.

You’ll learn:

1. How student-athletes were building personal brands long before NIL existed
2. Why personal branding is about positioning, identity, and self-presentation, not just monetization
3. How micro and nano influencers are changing which athletes brands choose to work with
4. What transferable skills athletes develop through branding, including storytelling, negotiation, and career clarity
5. How athletes navigate visibility, criticism, and cyberbullying, and why mental health is becoming a central concern

We also discuss how coaches, front-office professionals, and even academics are increasingly affected by personal branding in a digital-first sports ecosystem.

If you’re a student-athlete, coach, sports professional, or educator trying to understand how identity, influence, and opportunity intersect in modern sports, this episode offers a grounded framework you can apply immediately.