As we reported earlier today here on eWn, WWE confirmed that Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson has officially signed a contract with the company. ESPN covered the signing and revealed that Steveson’s signing marks the first ever NIL (name/image/likeness) deal with the NCAA. According to the report, it’s a multi-year contract that will begin after he graduates from the University of Minnesota in May.
The report notes that the deal will allow Steveson to join WWE while still defending his Division I national championship. He can still appear on WWE programming while attending school and will become a full-time member of the roster when his contract fully kicks in after he graduates.
WWE will be setting up a remote training facility for Steveson near the University of Minnesota campus and will he will train with several of the WWE coaches. He will also have access to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL.
As of this writing, there is no word on how long Steveson’s contract is for. Regarding the contract, Steveson said,
“I’ve been on WWE since I was really young. I was on guys like Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman for a very long time. So growing up watching them, me being an entertainer on the wrestling mat, it just felt like it was the right choice.”
There was also interest from the UFC and NFL but Steveson chose to sign with WWE instead.
