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Nikki Bella Heading To Fiesta Bowl To Help Expand WWE ESPN Partnership

WWE and ESPN are expanding their partnership into the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
Rick Ucchino|
Nikki Bella
Nikki Bella | WWE

WWE and ESPN are expanding their partnership into the world of college football, according to the Sports Business Journal.

The two sports and entertainment giants will be rolling out some fan-driven experiences during the remainder of the College Football Playoff.

#6 Ole Miss and #10 Miami will meet Thursday night in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl with a spot in the National Championship game on the line, and WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella will be in attendance at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona to unveil a custom CFP Championship belt.

The belt will include co-branded elements and designs inspired by the city of Miami Gardens, Florida, as well as Hard Rock Stadium, and it will also feature 136 diamonds that represent each of the teams that belong in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

On Friday, January 16, WWE and ESPN will be hosting a joint fan activation at The Miami Beach Convention Center as part of the festivities of championship weekend.

"The activation will include a custom experience in which fans can create their own entrance and walk out along a football‑inspired path with music, lighting effects, smoke and props similar to WWE or their favorite college football team," wrote Na'Andre Emerson in the SBJ report.

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Without revealing any additional details, the Sports Business Journal said that fans will have the opportunity to win the CFB Champion belt through an official ESPN sweepstakes.

#1 Indiana will take on #5 Oregon in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Friday, January 9, with the winner moving on to face the winner of Ole Miss and Miami in the National Championship game on Monday, January 19. Both semifinal games, and the national title game will be broadcast on ESPN.

WWE building on previous college football presence

Big 12
Dec 6, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders linebacker Ben Roberts (13) celebrates with the Big 12 WWE Championship belt after the game against the BYU Cougars at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

This is not WWE's first foray into the college football landscape. The company has been in partnership with the Big 12 for the past three seasons, which included the winner of the Big 12 Championship Game being award a custom title belt.

Texas Tech linebacker Ben Roberts can be seen holding the gold from December's game in the photo above.

The collaboration between WWE and the Big 12 expanded in 2025 when the company brought a number of episodes of Friday Night SmackDown to markets like Cincinnati, Tempe and Salt Lake City. Those shows featured heavy incorporation from the two schools who competed in the Big 12 game of the week the following Saturday.

The next WWE event on ESPN is coming up on Saturday, January 31 when the Royal Rumble goes live at 2 p.m. ET from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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