Why WWE Decided To Move NXT Tapings To The Performance Center

We have a follow-up on last night's report that NXT will be moving their taping locations from Full Sail University to the WWE Performance Center starting with this Sunday's TakeOver 31 event. The news dropped late Thursday evening courtesy of POST Wrestling, and now, Wrestling Inc has a new detail of why WWE decided to make the move. As is probably no surprise, the situation has to do with the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the report, one of the contributing factors to the decision was the fact that WWE is no longer using Full Sail University students to produce their NXT shows. In the past, students had been used as camera personnel, production assistants, and in other ways as they shadowed WWE personnel to learn the field. Full Sail is a private college that is highly respected for its creative courses in audio, design, computer production, and more. WWE's NXT tapings offered a chance at real world experience for them.

NXT tapings have continued to be closed-set due to the pandemic, so Full Sail students were not going to be used anytime soon. There's also the issue that WWE had often used some of the nearby campus buildings and board rooms for production and talent meetings, which led to WWE talent sometimes being in the vicinity of Full Sail students. This was a risk for COVID-19 infection and spread. Full Sail has partially reopened to in-person students.

Lastly, Full Sail was not going to be allowing live fans to attend NXT shows anytime soon. By moving production to the Performance Center, WWE will now get to decide when to open their doors to limited fans once again.

The report notes that the door will remain open for WWE NXT to return to college for production at a future date.