Gable Steveson's next steps have been argued over at length, and he's done a masterful job of building they hype around his future. NCAA wrestling, the WWE, and MMA have all appeared to be viable paths for the 2021 Olympic and NCAA Champion. He's even flirted with the idea of firing up a football career. At long last, we know what the 21 year old phenom plans to do next, and it's not what many people expected.

Over the weekend, WWE fans celebrated the reported signing of Steveson while NCAA wrestling fans mourned the loss of perhaps the most entertaining heavyweight the sport has ever seen when a number of sites published the announcement that Gable had signed with the WWE citing Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter as their source.

Gable Steveson has signed with WWE according to @davemeltzerWON: https://t.co/fSQ1g4uQbB pic.twitter.com/l0ebdjxawp

— Wrestling Observer (@WONF4W) September 4, 2021

What was huge news in the Wrestling Entertainment world was a blow to college and international wrestling fans, even if it was easy to see coming. Minnesota fans in particular had hoped to see one last year's worth of competition out of their superstar and believed new NCAA Name, Image, and Likeness rules might leave the door open for Gable to return.

The likelihood of another season of Gable as a Gopher has looked increasingly less likely over the past couple of weeks. Before the September 4 report of Steveson's signing, Gable's brother Bobby was announced as part of the next class of recruits for the WWE Performance Center, a move many took as a sign that Gable might not be far behind.

The new class of @WWEPC recruits features second-generation Superstars and standouts from football, gymnastics, and amateur wrestling. https://t.co/6ZuNh9rimS

— WWE (@WWE) August 30, 2021

While the rumors about Gable Steveson's signing with the WWE are true, they only tell half of the story because his days in a Minnesota singlet aren't done just yet. The young superstar announced on ESPN today that he has signed with the WWE and plans to begin his wrestling entertainment career while also competing with the Gophers for one more season.

The immediate question that follows the news of Steveson's plans to pursue both paths is one of eligibility. How is it possible that Gable Steveson could begin his WWE career, an apparently lucrative endeavor, and remain eligible to compete in the NCAA? He has worked with Minnesota's compliance department to do just that.

Maybe it shouldn't be surprising that one of wrestling's most unique stars is forging an unprecedented path forward in the sport. This announcement creates questions that will be hotly debated for the entire NCAA season, but it appears that wrestling fans haven't seen the last of Gable Steveson on wrestling mat.