Education

Ph.D., Sport Management, University of Florida
M.S., Health, Kinesiology and Sport Studies, Texas A&M University at Commerce
B.S., Sport and Recreation Management, Texas A&M University at Commerce
A.A., Liberal Arts, Collin Community College

Background

Joseph L. Herman II is an assistant professor in the David and Nicole Tepper Department of Sport and Entertainment Management within the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management at the University of South Carolina. He previously served as the college’s inaugural Bridge to Faculty (B2F) Fellow. Herman II earned his Ph.D. in Sport Management from the University of Florida and holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in sport and recreation management and athletic administration from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Grounded in his foundational background as a collegiate scholarship student-athlete, Herman II’s scholarship focuses on college athlete experience and development, athlete identity, narrative empowerment, name, image, and likeness (NIL) and college athletics reform, athletic career transition, and the role of race and cultural narratives in sport. His cutting-edge research critically analyzes how Black male college athletes and player development personnel navigate identity, equity, and institutional systems in the modern NIL era. 

His research appears in premier referred outlets, including the International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Sociology of Sport Journal, Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, and Journal of Athlete Development and Experience, as well as a co-authored chapter in International Sport Management (3rd ed.). Herman II frequently presents at leading conferences such as the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM), the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS), and the College Sport Research Institute (CSRI).

In the classroom, Herman II bridges theory and practice through courses such as The Student-Athlete Experience and Social Issues in Sport. His academic insights are further reinforced by real-world sport industry and leadership experience with Legends Hospitality at The Star in Frisco (Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters), the James Thrower Student-Athlete Success Center, and multi-facility fitness administration.

Awards / Honors

• Inaugural Bridge to Faculty Fellow, University of South Carolina HRSM
• University of Florida Sport Management Doctoral Research Grant
• Grinter Fellowship, University of Florida
• Board of Education Summer Fellowship Program Participant
• Academic All-American, Texas College

Research Interests

• College Athlete Experience and Development
• Athlete Identity and Narrative Empowerment
• Name, Image, and Likeness and College Athletics Reform
• Athletic Career Transition
• Narrative Empowerment of Athletes
• Race, Cultural Narratives, and Sport Sociology

Professional Affiliations

• North American Society for Sport Management
• North American Society for the Sociology of Sport
• Professional Association of Athlete Development Specialist

Research Publications

Herman II, J. L. (2026). Narrative, identity, and liminality of player development personnel in big- time NCAA Power 4 conferences: Supporting athlete identity development and navigating role evolution in the NIL implementation era. Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, 19(1), 346-376. https://doi.org/10.51221/sc.jiia.2026.19.1.17

Herman II, J. L. (2026). A critical race theory analysis of Black male college athletes' identity development. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902261434244

Herman II, J. L. (2026). Competing narratives: Black male college athletes' master cultural narratives versus the NCAA. Sociology of Sport Journal, 43(2), 187-198. https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.2024-0266`

Odio, M., Kerwin, S., & Herman II, J. L. (2026). Sport in North America. In International Sport Management (3rd ed.). ISBN 9781718227958

Cooper, J. N., McAulay, D., & Herman II, J. L. (2024). The Black college athletes' burden: A critical analysis of race, civic engagement, and activism of NCAA athletes. Sociology of Sport Journal, 42(4), 351-364. https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.2024-0072

Herman II, J. L. (2023). The "other" NIL and sport crit: Narrative, identity, and liminality of Black gendered scholar-athletes. Journal of Athlete Development and Experience, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.25035/jade.05.02.03

Cooper, J. N., Keaton, A. C. I., Mack, M. N., Flowers, R., & Herman II, J. L. (2023). A new paradigm for sport education programs: An equity-minded and anti-ism framework. Sport, Education and Society, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2023.2217835