Titus O'Neil shares his thoughts on the WWE NIL program.
WWE launched the NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program in December 2021, and its purpose was to "provide a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE," according to the official announcement. Since then, the company has continued to expand the program; in 2022, WWE announced a partnership with Exos that would give the athletes more resources and kicked off the Campus Rush recruitment tour.
In an interview with Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, WWE Global Ambassador Titus O'Neil, who played college football before he entered the world of sports entertainment, was asked to describe how the NIL program is a game-changer for college athletes. He responded by describing how it gives athletes an opportunity to expand their brands while they're in college and join the WWE family.
"It’s a huge game-changer. Obviously, WWE tries to make sure that we’re at the forefront of a lot of things, and I’ve met several people that are in the NIL space, and they strongly consider ours to be one of the best NIL programs. So, these athletes that are being signed to these NIL deals with WWE have a wonderful opportunity to expand their brands while they’re in college, but also, too, become a part of the WWE family a lot earlier and understand what it means to be a WWE superstar. For all the athletes out there, whether you’re an aspiring WWE superstar or not, understand that NIL is a commitment that’s being made by both sides. Honor that commitment. I know that we, as a company, are gonna honor every last one of our NIL commitments, and hopefully make sure that we can bring them into the family and keep them in the family," O'Neil said.
WWE recently added 15 new athletes to the NIL program. More information is available here.
Former WWE Champion Big E previously commented on working with the NIL program. Click here to see what he had to say.
O'Neil described how he wanted to be the Shaquille O'Neal of WWE. Check out his comments here.
