WWE NIL Program Partners With Athletic Training Leader

WWE continues to evolve the way future WWE superstars are recruited and developed. In December 2021, WWE announced the "NIL" (Next In Line – name, image, likeness) program, which focuses on enhancing the talent development process through collaborative partnerships with elite collegiate athletes. This fall, WWE held a "Campus Rush" tour and visited eight college campuses to educate students on what it takes to become a WWE talent. Now, WWE has formed a new partnership with Exos, a "global leader in athlete training and human performance," to provide the opportunity for NIL athletes to train at Exos' "world-class" development facilities.

Exos currently supports over 12,000 athletes at 400 locations across 26 countries. In WWE's press release, it was noted that WWE NIL athletes will be "introduced to the Exos Athlete Experience Program and its many sports science and data partners. The athlete intake process will see athletes go through rigorous performance, body composition, nutrition, and physical therapy testing. The baseline developed for the athletes will enable customized and fully integrated plans to ensure a foundation for optimized training."

WWE Head of Talent Operations and Strategy James Kimball stated, "An industry leader in sports performance, Exos will help enhance our NIL athletes' experience as they transition from college athletics to WWE." Exos CEO Sarah Robb O'Hagan also weighed in, "Exos is thrilled to team up with the WWE in an effort to meet its next generation of athletes on their journey in order to ensure success – physically and mentally – and continuity of care."

WWE NIL is currently partnered with 25 active athletes.Three members from the inaugural class joined WWE post-graduation and have started training full-time at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. The next NIL class is expected to be announced in "early 2023."