Virtual Fields, Real Connections: Black Student-Athletes, Gaming, and Digital Representation in NCAA 25

Abstract

This thesis examines how Black Division I football players view their virtual portrayals in the recently relaunched NCAA Football 25, amid shifting Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policies. My research explores links between race, identity, and commodification to analyze how the game’s representations of Blackness disrupt or maintain historical patterns of racial exploitation. The study uses digital ethnography, semi-structured interviews with four Black student-athletes from both FBS and FCS schools, to position sports gaming within broader cultural conversations on race, commodification, and athlete autonomy. Each participant was asked a series of questions about their involvement with video games and spaces. The goal is to explore whether these digital spaces replicate racial stereotypes common in sports media, or enable players to challenge and redefine their identities through avatar embodiment and virtual socialization. My findings show a clear duality: NCAA Football 25 gives athletes pride and agency through detailed digital avatars and chances for compensation via NIL deals, but also sustains structural inequalities by turning Black athletes’ images into commodities within profit-based systems. While these sports games foster bonds similar to real locker-room interactions, they also reflect deeper racial and economic tensions found in college athletics. Ultimately, this thesis highlights tensions between visibility and erasure, empowerment and exploitation, adding to ongoing conversations about racial justice, digital labor, and ethical representation. It emphasizes how digital gaming shapes modern identity politics and the everyday experiences of Black college athletes navigating new digital economies.