On Thursday, WWE announced the launch of its NIL program, which will help pave the way for college athletes to enter WWE.
According to the press release, "the NIL program aims to enhance the talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds."
Speaking to Fast Company, Triple H provided more insight into the program.
“We immediately saw it as an amazing recruiting tool for us because it allows us to show athletes a path to WWE, and engage with them in a way where they can learn more about it, we can learn more about them, all while working together, and finding out if it’s a good fit before they’re even finished college, and before they need to make any decisions about what they’re going to do in that next stage of their life,” he said. "In my generation, and even more recently, you sort of had to know someone. We’ve put a lot of effort into recruiting athletes and finding athletes to let them know WWE is a potentially lucrative opportunity for them if they’re interested and passionate about it.”
Gable Steveson was the first athlete signed to the program and he will enter WWE once he finishes up his wrestling career at the University of Minnesota.
At a recent WWE tryout, Triple H was impressed by University of Alabama shot putter Isaac Odugbesan.
"When we were done with the tryout, I was like, ‘Great let’s bring this kid in now,’ but it turned out he was still in school. That happened right around NIL, so we put a deal together, and he’ll be way ahead of the curve because he’ll be working on a lot of stuff while he’s in school," said Triple H. “The deals might range from the lower end, which would still help them make ends meet while at school. Of course, if you’re bringing an Olympic gold medal to the table, it’s a different conversation.”
Steveson was drafted by WWE Raw during the 2021 WWE Draft. He signed a three-year deal with the company, which begins in May once his college career ends.
You can learn more about Steveson's deal with WWE by clicking here.
