STAMFORD, Connecticut (WKBN)- WWE announced in a press release that they have launched a program to be a pathway to send college athletes to the squared circle.

According to a press release, WWE has launched their NIL (Name Image & Likeness Program) to recruit college athletes before they are finished with their college careers.

This comes after the NCAA policy ruling on July 1 that allows college athletes to monetize their name, image & likeness.

The first signee of the new WWE NIL program was heavyweight freestyle wrestler Gable Stevenson. Stevenson signed with WWE in September 2021 after winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year. Stevenson is finishing his senior year at the University of Minnesota while he is training to become a WWE superstar.

According to the press release, all athlete partnerships will feature access to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., Athletes will also have resources with guidance for brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations.

When select athletes complete the program, they may earn an opportunity to receive a WWE contract.

The WWE NIL program has the potential to be transformational to our business,” said Paul Levesque, WWE executive vice president, global talent strategy and development. “By creating partnerships with elite athletes at all levels across a wide variety of college sports, we will dramatically expand our pool of talent and create a system that readies NCAA competitors for WWE once their collegiate careers come to a close.”

WWE said that they will unveil the first class of NIL partnerships in the coming weeks.