WWE has announced 14 new NIL signees.
The company issued the following press release today to tout the new signings:
WWE® SIGNS 14 ATHLETES TO AWARD-WINNING NIL PROGRAM
WWE® SIGNS 14 ATHLETES TO AWARD-WINNING NIL PROGRAM
STAMFORD, Conn., December 6, 2023 – WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced the signing of 14 college athletes to its award-winning NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program – “Next In Line™” – that provides a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE.
On the two-year anniversary of the inception of WWE’s NIL program, the fourth class of athletes is highlighted by two of the nation’s top-ranked wrestlers, two-time All-American Lucas Davison from the University of Michigan and former Big 12 Champion Stephen Buchanan from the University of Oklahoma. The class also includes WWE’s first acrobatics athlete, Bayley Humphrey from Baylor University, first baseball player, Adam Berghorst from Indiana State, and first male cheerleader, Slane Glover from Ohio State.
The fourth “Next In Line” class includes athletes from 14 different universities and ten NCAA conferences.
Name
School
Sport
Height/Weight
Hometown
Adam Berghorst
Indiana State
Baseball
6’ 7”, 260 lbs.
Zeeland, Mich.
Bayley Humphrey
Baylor
Acrobatics
5’ 10”
Chandler, Ariz.
Darci Khan
Howard
Track & Field
5’ 7”
Stockbridge, Ga.
Desmond Coleman
Liberty
Track & Field
6’ 4”, 250 lbs.
Charlotte, N.C.
Grace Stephens
Monmouth
Track & Field
5’ 5”
Monroe, Conn.
Jeremy Cody
Miami (Florida)
Track & Field
6’ 7”, 220 lbs.
Pueblo, Colo.
Josh Pearcy
Rice
Football
6’ 2”, 245 lbs.
Moorestown, N.J.
Kali Terza
Kennesaw State
Track & Field
5’ 4”
Woodstock, Ga.
Lucas Davison
Michigan
Wrestling
6’ 2”, 235 lbs.
Chesteron, Ind.
Momen Zahid
William & Mary
Football
6’ 5”, 295 lbs.
Ashburn, Va.
Sirena Linton
Arkansas
Gymnastics
5’ 2”
Phoeniz, Ariz.
Skyla Schulte
Michigan State
Gymnastics
5’ 2”
Bolingbrook, Ill.
Slane Glover
Ohio State
Cheerleading
6’ 1”, 205 lbs.
Delray, Fla.
Stephen Buchanan
Oklahoma
Wrestling
6’ 0”, 200 lbs.
Loyal, Wis.
WWE’s “Next In Line” program has signed 60 college athletes since its inception in December 2021. Seven athletes have signed full-time developmental contracts with WWE and train year-round at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.
The program serves to recruit and develop potential future Superstars and continues to enhance WWE’s talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds. WWE has signed athletes from 15 different sports including 42 members of Power-Five conferences. The program’s members have earned 18 NCAA Championships, 34 Conference Championships and 55 All-American honors.
All athlete partnerships feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization including brand building, media training, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract.
The program’s athletes boast impressive social media followings with more than 12 million combined followers on TikTok and nearly five million combined followers on Instagram. WWE currently has one of the largest fanbases on TikTok with more than 25 million followers and more than 30 million Instagram followers.
Learn more about the “Next In Line” program at wwerecruit.com.
About WWE®
WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), is an integrated media organization and the recognized global leader in sports entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, premium live events, digital media, and publishing platforms. WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 1 billion homes worldwide in 25 languages through world-class distribution partners including NBCUniversal, FOX Sports, TNT Sport, Sony India and Rogers. The award-winning WWE Network includes all premium live events, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library and is currently available in approximately 165 countries. In the United States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is the exclusive home to WWE Network. Additional information on WWE can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.
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WWE Signs 14 Athletes to Award-Winning NIL Program
WWE, the renowned professional wrestling company, has recently announced the signing of 14 college athletes to its award-winning NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program called “Next In Line™.” This program provides a clear pathway for collegiate athletes to transition into the world of WWE.
On the two-year anniversary of the inception of WWE’s NIL program, the fourth class of athletes has been highlighted. Among them are two of the nation’s top-ranked wrestlers, Lucas Davison from the University of Michigan and Stephen Buchanan from the University of Oklahoma. Both wrestlers have achieved impressive accolades in their collegiate careers, with Davison being a two-time All-American and Buchanan being a former Big 12 Champion.
In addition to these standout wrestlers, the new class of signees includes Bayley Humphrey from Baylor University, who becomes WWE’s first acrobatics athlete. Adam Berghorst from Indiana State joins as WWE’s first baseball player, and Slane Glover from Ohio State becomes the first male cheerleader to join the program.
The fourth “Next In Line” class comprises athletes from 14 different universities and ten NCAA conferences, showcasing the program’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity.
The athletes who have been signed to the program are as follows:
– Adam Berghorst: Indiana State – Baseball
– Bayley Humphrey: Baylor – Acrobatics
– Darci Khan: Howard – Track & Field
– Desmond Coleman: Liberty – Track & Field
– Grace Stephens: Monmouth – Track & Field
– Jeremy Cody: Miami (Florida) – Track & Field
– Josh Pearcy: Rice – Football
– Kali Terza: Kennesaw State – Track & Field
– Lucas Davison: Michigan – Wrestling
– Momen Zahid: William & Mary – Football
– Sirena Linton: Arkansas – Gymnastics
– Skyla Schulte: Michigan State – Gymnastics
– Slane Glover: Ohio State – Cheerleading
– Stephen Buchanan: Oklahoma – Wrestling
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 gone on to sign full-time developmental contracts with WWE and train year-round at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.
The program aims to recruit and develop potential future Superstars, enhancing WWE’s talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from various athletic backgrounds. Athletes from 15 different sports, including 42 members of Power-Five conferences, have been signed to the program. These athletes have collectively earned 18 NCAA Championships, 34 Conference Championships, and 55 All-American honors.
Partnerships with WWE provide athletes access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, along with resources across the organization 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.
The program’s athletes have impressive social media followings, with over 12 million combined followers on TikTok and nearly five million combined followers on Instagram. WWE itself boasts one of the largest fanbases on TikTok, with more than 25 million followers, and over 30 million followers on Instagram.
To learn more about WWE’s “Next In Line” program, visit wwerecruit.com.
About WWE®
WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), is an integrated media organization and the recognized global leader in sports entertainment. The company delivers original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience through various platforms. WWE is committed to providing family-friendly entertainment and can be seen in more than 1 billion homes worldwide in 25 languages. The award-winning WWE Network offers premium live events, scheduled programming, and a vast video-on-demand library, available in approximately 165 countries. In the United States, WWE Network is exclusively available on NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock. For more information on WWE, visit wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.
In conclusion, WWE’s “Next In Line” program continues to attract and develop talented college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds. With its commitment to providing a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE, the program serves as a valuable opportunity for aspiring athletes to pursue a career in professional wrestling.