WWE close to inking major deal with Big 12 Conference - Report

WWE's continued venture into creating partnerships and inroads in the sports world is potentially about to hit another milestone.

For those who don't know, The Big 12 Conference is a conference of 14 major colleges and universities that participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football. Some of the Universities included are Oklahoma, Baylor, West Virginia, and Texas Tech.

According to a report from WrestleVotes, the company is nearing a deal with the Big 12 Conference football that would create a merchandising and licensing collaboration ahead of the college football season.

"I’m told WWE and the Big 12 Conference are nearing an agreement which would allow WWE to produce licensed Big 12 merchandise focused around the upcoming college football bowl season. Another big step in the sports world ...", said WrestleVotes on X

This will be far from the company's first venture into the world of college sports. In 2021, the company launched it's NIL (Next In Line) program. NIL was created following the NCAA's July 1, 2021 decision which now allows college athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness. The program creates a "clear pathway" for athletes to become future superstars.

According to the company's NIL website, along with the hands on training of becoming a professional wrestler, "All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing, and community relations..."

The first official NIL deal was with Olympian Gable Steveson on September 9, 2021. Steveson has since appeared in the ring multiple times including his debut at WrestleMania 38. Steveson had their first (and so far only) match with Baron Corbion at NXT: Great American Bash earlier this year. The bout ended in a double countout.

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WWE Superstar Titus O'Neil spoke highly of WWE's NIL program earlier this year.

In a recent interview with Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com, former Tag Team Champion and former college athlete Titus O'Neil spoke about the company's Next In Line program. During his interview, O'Neil referred to the program as a "game-changer" for college athletes and (potentially) future stars inside the squared circle.

"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...superstar," O'Neil said.

O'Neil is one of several superstars who also played college, or even professional, football. Names such as Goldberg, Baron Corbin, The Rock, and even the current Universal Champion Roman Reigns competed on the gridiron at one point in their careers.

Which College Football stars do you think could make the jump to WWE? Sound off in the comments section below.