NiJaree Canady Signs $1M-Plus NIL Contract With Texas Tech Softball amid WCWS Run

NiJaree Canady will be staying with the Texas Tech Red Raiders for another season.

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported that the ace pitcher had signed a "seven-figure NIL deal" to keep her with the program past the 2025 season. The junior right-hander had transferred to Texas Tech from Stanford ahead of the 2025 season and became the first softball player to secure a NIL deal in excess of $1 million.

Canady has had a sensational season with the Red Raiders, going 34-7 with a 0.97 ERA in 239 innings. Her efforts helped lead the program to the College World Series Championship against in-state rival Texas.

The Red Raiders enter the contest with a 54-13 overall record in 2025. This was the first season that Texas Tech won the Big 12 conference title and reached the College World Series. This was the seventh time the program has made the College World Series and the first since 2019.

Canady has been a driving force to this success and staved off elimination with a Game 2 victory over the Longhorns Thursday night. She went seven innings and allowed six hits, two earned runs and struck out six batters in the 4-3 win.

As Canady and the Red Raiders prepare for a winner-take-all game Friday night, she can take comfort in the fact that she will be back with the team in 2026.