Full Sail Stories

Last week, the chants started long before the cameras rolled as fans of all ages packed Full Sail Live, excited to see WWE’s NXT return to the venue where the brand first took shape for NXT Homecoming. The atmosphere felt like both a reunion and a celebration – part nostalgia, part one-night gala.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE’s Chief Content Officer, opened the night by reflecting on the brand’s beginnings on Full Sail’s campus. “When we first came here in 2012, we knew this place was special,” he told the crowd. “It had everything WWE needed to grow NXT, and it gave students the real-world experience to be part of it from day one.”

Between 2012 and 2020, Full Sail hosted more than 400 NXT episodes, and more than 1,400 students worked side by side with WWE professionals during those productions. Levesque called the return “a true homecoming,” noting that many grads have gone on to careers with WWE across creative, technical, and production roles.

Appearances from Rhea Ripley and Shawn Michaels added to the sense of history, while crews captured backstage content in the Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress. And in one small but telling moment, a young fan who knew every chant was moved from the back of the room to the front row, a reminder of how deeply the brand connects with its community.

But the celebration wasn’t just about the show. Earlier in the day, students filled a Full Sail classroom for back-to-back panels with WWE talent, executives, and grads.

In the first session, moderated by Entertainment Business faculty member Christopher Woodward, Jeremy Borash (WWE's Vice President of Content & Development), and three Full Sail grads now working in WWE production shared their career journeys. They spoke about creating promotional content, producing live events, and navigating challenges behind the scenes. The advice was simple but pointed: network constantly, work hard, and treat every project as an opportunity. One panelist laughed as they recalled meeting a WWE recruiter at a Full Sail job fair years earlier, saying, “This is our second home, that’s why we’re coming back tonight.”

The second panel, moderated by Entertainment Business faculty member Bill Thompson, brought together Patrick Dooley, WWE’s Senior Vice President of Global Strategy & Creative Operations, and superstar Natalya. Dooley spoke about WWE’s international growth and how the company adapts to new audiences while Natalya reflected on her favorite WWE moments. Student questions ranged from WrestleMania site selection to the realities of balancing life on the road with professional expectations.

Reflecting on why WWE has long chosen Full Sail as a partner, John Saboor, Full Sail’s Executive Director and Head of Partnerships, pointed to the environment that makes the university unique. “This is a place where education doesn’t stop at the classroom door,” he said. “Students are surrounded by real-world experiences that prepare them to contribute to the industry right away.”

Before the evening’s show, WWE and Full Sail highlighted one of the most enduring parts of their partnership: scholarships. This year, 10 students across degree programs including Film, Sportscasting, Live Event Production, and Recording Arts were each awarded $10,000 scholarships in the lead-up to the televised event. With this year’s presentation, the collaboration has now awarded more than $500,000 in support to students pursuing their degrees.

Triple H reflected on the importance of creating opportunities that extend beyond the ring. He credited the partnership with providing real-world learning experiences that have prepared students to step into industry roles immediately. “We knew from the beginning that this had to be more than just a show,” he said. “It had to give students the chance to learn alongside us and to be ready on day one.”

For John, the return of NXT underscored how far the collaboration has come. “This partnership has reinvented itself for more than a decade,” he said. “The opportunities it creates for our students and grads are unmatched.”

As the night’s show got underway, the excitement inside Full Sail Live matched the history of what had come before. Students, grads, and fans celebrated not just NXT's "Homecoming," but a partnership that continues to shape careers and bring world-class entertainment to Full Sail’s campus.