WWE Signs New Class of Next In Line (NIL) Recruits
The future of professional wrestling just got brighter as WWE announced the signing of its next class of collegiate athletes to its Next In Line (NIL) program. In a press release issued today, WWE revealed that 14 college athletes have been signed to the program, which provides a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE.
Among the notable signings are Lucas Davison, a two-time All-American wrestler from the University of Michigan, and Stephen Buchanan, a former Big 12 Champion wrestler from the University of Oklahoma. This class also includes Bayley Humphrey from Baylor University, who is WWE’s first acrobatics athlete, and Adam Berghorst from Indiana State, who is WWE’s first baseball player. Additionally, Slane Glover from Ohio State has made history as WWE’s first male cheerleader.
The fourth “Next In Line” class consists of athletes from 14 different universities and ten NCAA conferences. These athletes come from diverse athletic backgrounds, including baseball, acrobatics, track & field, football, wrestling, gymnastics, and cheerleading.
Since its inception in December 2021, WWE’s “Next In Line” program has signed a total of 60 college athletes. Seven of these athletes have already signed full-time developmental contracts with WWE and are currently training year-round at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.
WWE’s partnership with collegiate athletes aims to recruit and develop potential future Superstars. The program offers athletes access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center, as well as resources for brand building, media training, live event promotion, creative writing, and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, athletes may be offered exclusive opportunities to sign WWE contracts.
Not only do these athletes bring their athletic prowess to WWE, but they also come with impressive social media followings. The program’s athletes have a combined total of over 12 million followers on TikTok and nearly five million followers on Instagram. This aligns with WWE’s own significant presence on social media, with over 25 million followers on TikTok and more than 30 million followers on Instagram.
With the signing of this new class, WWE continues to demonstrate its commitment to talent development and the evolution of professional wrestling. The company’s ability to attract athletes from various sports and conferences showcases the broad appeal and growing popularity of WWE.
This announcement comes at a time when collegiate athletes have more power and opportunities to be compensated for their talents than ever before. WWE’s NIL program allows these athletes to pursue their passion for professional wrestling while leveraging their collegiate success.
As the wrestling industry evolves, it will be exciting to see how these new recruits make their mark in WWE and potentially main-event WrestleMania in the future.
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Sources:
WWE Press Release: https://corporate.wwe.com/news/company-news/2023/12-06-2023
Wrestling Rumors: https://wrestlingrumors.net/derekstoughton/wwe-signs-new-class-next-line-nil-recruits/
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