Tag: next in line

WWE to unveil second ‘Next In Line’ class next month

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE’s second class of “Next In Line” program recruits is set to be unveiled next month.

WWE has announced that the new class of Next In Line recruits will be unveiled at the inaugural NIL Summit on Monday, June 13. The class will consist of 15 college athletes.

The NIL Summit is being held at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

“WWE will join Meta, Wasserman and Invesco QQQ and others as founding Partners of the inaugural NIL Summit and will also serve as the exclusive Presenting Partner for the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year Award. Additionally, WWE is nominated for the Brand of the Year Award which recognizes creative excellence by a brand or organization for collaboration with a student-athlete,” WWE wrote.

“Four of the 16 initial members of WWE’s ‘Next In Line’ program are nominated for awards including Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (University of Minnesota) for Male Athlete of the Year, Haley & Hanna Cavinder (University of Miami) for Female Athlete of the Year and Jon Seaton (Elon University) for the Hustle Award.”

“We are excited to unveil our next class of NIL athletes at the inaugural NIL Summit which brings together the brightest minds across this emerging industry for the first time,” Paul “Triple H” Levesque said. “WWE’s ‘Next In Line’ program has already proven to be transformational for our talent pipeline. We have forged many incredible partnerships with student athletes during the first six months of the program and look forward to ushering in the next wave of talent.”

Last December, WWE announced that it was launching the Next In Line program as a way to create a “clear pathway” from college athletics to WWE. Athletes who sign NIL deals with WWE receive access to the WWE Performance Center, along with resources in brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing, and community relations. Upon completion of the program, select athletes may be offered a WWE contract.

Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson was the first person to sign an NIL deal with WWE. The company then unveiled its first class of Next In Line recruits last December. Thirteen universities, seven NCAA conferences, and four sports were represented in the 15-person class.

NIL deals allow athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness while still in college.

WWE partnering with INFLCR to expand NIL program

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has announced a new partnership that will expand the scope and scale of the company’s NIL (Next in Line) program.

It was announced on Tuesday that WWE and brand-building/NIL business management app INFLCR have entered into a multi-year partnership. INFLCR is a product from Teamworks and is the “industry leading brand building, content and name, image and likeness (NIL) business management platform for college athletes.“

Last September, it was announced that Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson had joined WWE as the company’s first-ever NIL signee. NIL deals allow athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness while still in college.

WWE officially announced the launch of its Next in Line program last December. The inaugural class of NIL signees consists of 15 college athletes.

WWE will “leverage INFLCR’s technology and alliances with more than 200 NCAA Division 1 colleges and universities to reach thousands of INFLCR student-athletes looking to monetize their name, image and likeness. Together, WWE and INFLCR will innovate how student-athletes engage with the WWE brand while maintaining their NCAA eligibility.”

“We are excited about the opportunities that this partnership with INFLCR will create as we continue to expand our Next In Line program and identify student-athletes with an interest in becoming WWE Superstars,” Paul “Triple H” Levesque said in a press release. “The Next In Line program is a unique opportunity that creates a clear pathway into WWE and partnering with INFLCR will help to bolster our efforts and resources in the NIL space.”

“INFLCR’s partnership with WWE opens a new door for the way student-athletes interact with companies looking to provide monetization opportunities,” said INFLCR founder Jim Cavale. “The technology offers a seamless experience for both WWE and student-athletes in a safe and compliant environment.”

WWE is holding a multi-day talent tryout in Texas during WrestleMania week. The tryout, which is an invite-only event, is exclusively for college athletes and recently graduated college athletes. More than 50 athletes will attend the tryout.

WWE unveils inaugural class of NIL signees

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has unveiled its inaugural class of NIL recruits.

The class consists of 15 college athletes who have signed NIL deals with WWE. NIL deals allow athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness while still in college.

WWE is calling its NIL program “Next in Line.” The athletes who partner with WWE as part of the program will receive access to the WWE Performance Center, along with resources in brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing, and community relations. Select athletes may be offered a WWE contract upon completion of the program.

Thirteen universities, seven NCAA conferences, and four sports are represented in WWE’s inaugural NIL class. The 15 athletes who are part of the class are:

  • Carlos Aviles, of Ventura, Calif., a 6-foot-6, 305-pound track & field athlete from Ohio State University
  • Haley Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University
  • Hanna Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University
  • A.J. Ferrari of Dallas, Texas, a 6-foot, 200-pound wrestler from Oklahoma State University
  • Lexi Gordon of Fort Worth, Texas, a 6-foot basketball player from Duke University
  • Aleeya Hutchins of Toronto, Canada, a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from Wake Forest University
  • John Krahn of Riverside, Calif., a 7-foot, 400-pound football player from Portland State University
  • Glen Logan of Kenner, La., a 6-foot-5, 305-pound football player from LSU
  • Isaac Odugbesan of Lagos, Nigeria, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound football player from the University of Alabama
  • Mason Parris of Lawrenceburg, Ind., a 6-foot-2, 275-pound wrestler from the University of Michigan
  • Masai Russel of Potomac, Md., a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from the University of Kentucky
  • Jon Seaton of Hillsborough, N.J., a 6-foot-1, 285-pound football player from Elon University
  • Joe Spivak of Lombard, Ill., a 6-foot, 300-pound football player from Northwestern University
  • Dalton Wagner of Spring Grove, Ill., a 6-foot-9, 330-pound football player from the University of Arkansas
  • Riley White of Hoover, Ala., a 5-foot-6 track & field athlete from the University of Alabama

Haley & Hanna Cavinder are also TikTok stars who have 3.8 million followers.

Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Steveson was the first-ever athlete to sign an NIL deal with WWE. He signed with WWE this September and is finishing his senior season at the University of Minnesota. Steveson was drafted to the Raw roster in October.

WWE announces NIL ‘Next in Line’ program for college athletes

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has announced the launch of a new program to create a “clear pathway” from college athletics to WWE.

It was announced today that WWE has established an NIL program for college athletes. NIL deals allow athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness while still in college. The first NIL deal in WWE history was announced this September, with Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Steveson signing with the company.

The name of WWE’s program is “Next in Line.”

“Following a historic new policy by the NCAA effective July 1, 2021, which ushered in the NIL era allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness, WWE has constructed a comprehensive program to recruit and develop potential future Superstars,” WWE wrote. “Dubbed ‘Next In Line,’ the NIL program aims to enhance the talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds.”

WWE’s press release included a quote about the program from Paul “Triple H” Levesque. It’s one of the first public comments Levesque has issued since it was announced in September that he had undergone a successful procedure following a cardiac event. Levesque posted a tweet later that month saying that he was recovering, doing well, and was grateful for the support he had received.

“The WWE NIL program has the potential to be transformational to our business,” said Levesque. “By creating partnerships with elite athletes at all levels across a wide variety of college sports, we will dramatically expand our pool of talent and create a system that readies NCAA competitors for WWE once their collegiate careers come to a close.”

WWE noted that its first class of NIL partnerships will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Athletes who partner with WWE will receive access to the WWE Performance Center, along with resources in brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing, and community relations. Select athletes may be offered a WWE contract upon completion of the program.