College Student-Athlete Identity Unveiled: The Interplay of Racial and Ethnic Subdimensions

The racialized and institutionalized structure of the NCAA, college sports, and the PWIs that host most athletic programs positions racial and ethnic identity as a potential barrier to the social and academic engagement, mental health, and identity development of student-athletes. However, few studies examine the relationship, role, and influence of racial, student, and athlete identities outside of domain-specific outcomes. We collected data from 343 student-athletes to explore the relationships between student-athletes' academic and athletic identities, race centrality, and private and public regard, while also examining how race and ethnicity influence these identity dynamics. Our results revealed race and ethnicity to have statistically significant effects on three of the five identity constructs, as well as eight significant underlying relationships among the identity constructs, which were further impacted by participants’ racial and ethnic identities. We provide insight into nuanced relationships between academic and athletic identities, race centrality, and private and public regard, and the impact of race and ethnicity on their interrelatedness. Through this study, we addressed critical gaps in literature by responding to calls for more comprehensive analyses of the multidimensional and intersecting identities of student-athletes and further substantiate the need for inclusive support and research on the interplay and development of the identity dynamics among an increasingly diverse student-athlete population.