WWE is the largest global professional wrestling promotion. It operates two main brands, RAW and SmackDown, along with two developmental brands, NXT and Evolve. The company is also known for its pay-per-view events, such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Money in the Bank, Royal Rumble, and more.
The company was founded in 1953 as Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) and executed as a Northeastern territory under the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). It left the NWA in 1963 and rebranded as the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). Soon after, it rejoined NWA for a short period before adopting the name World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979. However, the promotion was finally rebranded as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) due to a legal conflict with the World Wildlife Fund in 2002.
What is WWE NIL?
WWE introduced its Next In Line (NIL) program on December 2, 2021, led by Vince McMahon and Paul "Triple H" Levesque. The initiative recruits top college athletes from various sports, giving them access to WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Participants receive training in key areas like wrestling, brand building, media, communications, live event promotion, creative writing, and community relations. After completing the NIL program, select athletes may receive an exclusive opportunity to secure a WWE contract.
WWE NIL Prospects
Men's Division
| Real name | Sports | University |
| Adam Berghorst | Baseball | Scouted from Indiana State University |
| Brock Rechsteiner | American Football | Scouted from Jacksonville State University |
| Cameron Jones | American Football | Scouted from the University of Cincinnati |
| Carlos Aviles | Track and Field | Scouted from The Ohio State University |
| Cohlton Schultz | Wrestling | Scouted from Arizona State University |
| Dee Beckwith | American Football | Scouted from the University of Kentucky |
| Desmond Coleman | Track and Field | Scouted from Liberty University |
| Daniel Gregory Clifton Kerkvliet Jr. | Wrestling | Scouted from Penn State |
| Hidetora Hanada | American Football | Scouted from Colorado State University |
| Jeremy Cody | Track and Field | Scouted from the University of Miami |
| John Krahn | American Football | Scouted from Portland State University |
| Jon Seaton | American Football | Scouted from Elon University |
| Josh Pearcy | American Football | Scouted from Rice University |
| KeShaun Moore | American Football | Scouted from Hampton University |
| Landon Jackson | American Football | Scouted from the University of Arkansas |
| Lucas Davison | Wrestling | Scouted from the University of Michigan |
| Luke Ford | American Football | Scouted from the University of Illinois |
| Maliq Carr | American Football & Basketball | Scouted from Michigan State University |
| Mason Mark Parris | Wrestler | Scouted from the University of Michigan |
| Momen Zahid | American Football | Scouted from the College of William & Mary |
| Nicholas Paul Dawkins | Scouted from Penn State | |
| Otoniel Badjana | Track and Field | Scouted from the University of Pittsburgh |
| Ruben Banks | Track and Field | Scouted from the University of Arkansas |
| Slane Glover | Cheerleading | Scouted from The Ohio State University |
| Stephen Buchanan | Wrestling | Scouted from the University of Oklahoma |
| Turner Washington | Track and Field | Scouted from Arizona State University |
| Zachary Knighton-Ward | Wrestling | Scouted from Hofstra University |
Women's Division
| Real name | Sports | University |
| Alexandra Jaksec | Tennis | Scouted from the University of Mary Washington |
| Ali Mattox | Cheer & Dance | Scouted from Ole Miss |
| Alia Armstrong | Track and Field | Scouted from Louisiana State University |
| Aleeya Hutchins | Track and Field | Scouted from Wake Forest University |
| Chandler Olivia Hayden | Track and Field | Scouted from the University of Tennessee |
| Ericka Link | Volleyball | Scouted from Elon University |
| Grace Stephens | Track and Field | Scouted from Monmouth University |
| Haley Cavinder | Basketball | Scouted from the University of Miami |
| Hanna Cavinder | Basketball | Scouted from the University of Miami |
| Jaiden Fields | Softball | Scouted from the University of Georgia |
| Kali Terza | Track and Field | Scouted from Kennesaw State University |
| Lexi Gordon | Basketball | Scouted from Duke University |
| Mady Aulbach | Basketball | Scouted from Youngstown State University |
| Mikala Hall | Basketball | Scouted from Central Michigan University |
| Rachel Symone Glenn | Basketball | Scouted from the University of South Carolina |
| Riley White | Track and Field | Scouted from the University of Alabama |
| Skyla Schulte | Gymnastics | Scouted from Michigan State University |
| Tori Ortiz | Track and Field | Scouted from Oklahoma State University |
| Tyanna Omazic | Volleyball | Scouted from the University of Miami |
WWE NIL Alumni
| Name | About Superstars |
| Abby Jacobs | Scouted from the University of South Alabama and signed to the Campeonato Nacional Feminino as of March 2025 |
| A.J. Ferrari | Scouted from Oklahoma State University and removed from the WWE NIL program after being charged with felony sexual battery |
| Bayley Humphrey | Scouted from Baylor University and performed on WWE LFG under her real name |
| Case Hatch | Scouted from Arizona State University and assigned to the Evolve brand under the ring name "Tate Wilder" as of March 2025 |
| Dalton Wagner | Scouted from the University of Arkansas and signed to the National Football League as of March 2025 |
| Darci Khan | Scouted from Howard University and assigned to the Evolve brand under the ring name "Masyn Holiday" as of March 2025 |
| Derrian Gobourne | Scouted from Auburn University and performing on NXT house shows under the ring name "Chantel Monroe" as of March 2025 |
| Gable Steveson | Scouted from the University of Minnesota and Signed with WWE in 2021 but released in 2024 |
| Glen Logan | Scouted from Louisiana State University and signed to the United Football League as of March 2025 |
| Joe Spivak | Scouted from Northwestern University and assigned to the NXT brand under the ring name "Tank Ledger" as of March 2015 |
| Masai Russell | Scouted from the University of Kentucky and signed to Grand Slam Track as of March 2025 |
| Isaac Odugbesan | Scouted from the University of Alabama and assigned to the NXT brand under the ring name "Oba Femi" as of March 2025 |
| Isaiah Iton | Scouted from Rutgers University and signed to the National Football League as of March 2025 |
| Peyton Prussin | Scouted from Life University and assigned to the NXT brand under the ring name "Kendal Grey" as of March 2025 |
| Sirena Linton | Scouted from the University of Arkansas and performing on WWE LFG under her real name as of March 2025 |
| Thunder Keck | Scouted from Stanford University and performing on WWE LFG under the ring name "Shiloh Hill" as of March 2025 |
FAQs on WWE NIL
A. On December 2, 2021, WWE started the WWE NIL program for college athletes to train as wrestlers.
A. NIL in WWE means "Next In Line," a program that helps college athletes transition to wrestling.
A. WWE is owned by TKO Group Holdings, a subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings.
