Big 12, WWE pairing hands title belt to conference championship MVP

WWE and the Big 12 have formed a new partnership around the Big 12 championship game that will include a custom-made championship title belt going to the game’s most outstanding player.

The new pact will include blended Big 12-WWE logos on the field at AT&T Stadium, a new Big 12 merchandise line and WWE superstars presenting the most outstanding player belt and participating in events around the title game, which takes place Dec. 2.

The partnership with WWE adds to the Big 12’s push to modernize and connect with a younger audience. Hip-hop star Nelly will perform at halftime.

«WWE is a global brand that connects with a wide array of audiences,» Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement. «With this partnership, we will integrate WWE and its brand power into one of the conference’s biggest moments, further strengthening the bridge between sports and entertainment throughout the Big 12.»

Yormark has spent much of his career working in the sports entertainment world, coming to the Big 12 from Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, where he served as CEO and president of business operations and strategy.

WWE has taken a more active role in college football in recent years. The promotion’s name, image and likeness program, «Next In Line,» has included football players and other college athletes and put some on track for professional wrestling careers. WWE also finalized licensing agreements with all 14 SEC programs to create championship belts with each school’s logo on the side plates.