A lot ink has been spilled on social media this summer season about tampering in faculty softball. However after finishing one other all-time nice season the place she was, with out argument, the very best pitcher within the sport, Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady mentioned she didn’t hear from another applications making an attempt to persuade her to leap ship from the Purple Raiders. Brokers, people from collectives or different coaches weren’t sliding into her DMs, she says.
“Actually, no. I feel everybody knew that I find it irresistible right here at Tech,” Canady not too long ago instructed SB Nation. “Nobody was reaching out to me immediately.”
An enormous cause why Canady is staying put in Lubbock, Texas is as a result of she agreed to one other NIL deal with the Matador Membership, the Purple Raiders’ collective, that can once more pay her north of $1 million.
Canady now has a brand new solution to spend that NIL cash too. She’s now a model ambassador for Venmo and selling the corporate’s new partnership with the Massive 12. Venmo has launched debit playing cards for groups within the Massive 12, permitting college students, alumni and followers of taking part faculties to unlock unique perks and enhanced rewards — like ticket giveaways and gameday upgrades — in addition to as much as 15 p.c money again when procuring with sure manufacturers. Along with Canady, TCU level guard Olivia Miles and Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt locked in NIL ambassador offers with Venmo too. Signal-ups for the playing cards start in early September.
As one of many high gamers in faculty softball, Canady has been provided plenty of NIL alternatives. For her, partnering with Venmo was a no brainer.
“I really feel like a giant factor for me is partnering with manufacturers and corporations who I have already got a relationship with,” Canady says. “And I’ve used Venmo actually since highschool — whether or not that’s consuming with pals, or sending cash and receiving cash, issues like that. So, it was already in my telephone… I simply felt prefer it was good. After which the Massive 12 debit playing cards, I really feel like that’s actually cool too.”
She added: “I really feel like Venmo is doing a extremely good job of empowering the Massive 12 and feminine athletes.”
After Canady powered the Purple Raiders to a number of first-ever milestones — a Massive 12 title, an look within the School World Sequence, and a visit to the nationwide title sport — final season, Texas Tech continued to place its cash the place its mouth is and introduced in a cavalry of proficient reinforcements this summer season. The additions included 4 of the highest 10 gamers accessible within the switch portal, together with UCLA two-way standout Kaitlyn Terry, Tennessee third baseman Taylor Pannell, Ohio State catcher Jazzy Burns, and Florida second baseman Mia Williams.
Canady will even get the prospect to reunite with former journey ball teammate Jackie Lis, who involves Texas Tech after being probably the greatest gamers within the Missouri Valley Convention at Southern Illinois. Canady additionally is aware of Terry properly from their outdated battles within the Pac-12 and at USA Softball coaching camps.
With this roster, Texas Tech may enter the 2026 softball season as the favourite to win the nationwide title. Canady is keen to play together with her new teammates and isn’t shying away from the massive expectations.
“I imply, it could be thrilling if that occurred, however actually, I really feel like rankings don’t even matter. Like, we had been the twelfth seed going into the World Sequence,” Canady says. “We’re simply going to take it every sport at a time and, once more, I don’t suppose rankings matter. The sport doesn’t know who’s alleged to win.”
Apart from her seven-figure NIL take care of the Matador Membership, Texas Tech’s funding in softball bolstered Canady’s emotions that Lubbock is the appropriate place for her as she enters her senior season. Few applications throughout the nation have spent on softball the way in which that Texas Tech has over the previous two seasons.
And no different softball program within the nation can say it has Kansas Metropolis Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as a loyal fan.
“I really feel like we’re actually blessed right here at Texas Tech with the alumni who come ahead and the assist we now have. You hear about plenty of different faculties, and plenty of sources simply go in direction of soccer and males’s basketball — which, rightfully so. However at Texas Tech, I really feel like they actually respect feminine athletes too and the work we put in,” Canady says. “I really feel like, in a manner, Texas Tech is a faculty that’s sort of main the cost with not solely NIL, however particularly with feminine athletes.”
Canady additionally applauded Texas Tech and her administration workforce for coping with a number of the new hurdles with NIL introduced on by the Home Settlement, just like the NIL Go clearinghouse that’s operated by Deloitte. Any NIL take care of a worth of greater than $600 has to go by means of the web portal, together with Canady’s newest settlement with Venmo.
“I’ve began coping with it just a bit bit,” Canady says. “I’m assured in my workforce, and I’m assured with Texas Tech. I’m not apprehensive in regards to the future, and I really feel like Texas Tech goes to at all times deal with its scholar athletes.”
In some ways, Canady is a trailblazer in faculty softball, pushing the game into the NIL period with two fingers when she left Stanford for a take care of the Purple Raiders that made her the game’s first million-dollar participant. And with that cash, elevated consideration has include it.
“I by no means knew it could get this massive, actually. This has at all times been a dream of mine, to assist empower the following era of athletes… It’s positively exhausting at occasions. I really feel prefer it does put a brand new normal on you. I simply attempt to depend on God rather a lot. He’s blessed me in so some ways,” Canady says. “I really feel prefer it took me some time to understand this a part of it too… It does carry strain, but additionally, somebody felt like I used to be price it.”
In her first season for the Purple Raiders, Canady greater than lived as much as the hype. She was named Pitcher of the Yr by the Massive 12, the NFCA and D1Softball.com. She was a finalist for the USA Softball Nationwide Participant of the Yr and a consensus First Staff All-American.
Canady ranked second nationally in ERA (1.11), third in hits allowed per seven innings (3.88), seventh in shutouts (7), third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.93), tenth in strikeouts per seven innings (9.3), second in whole strikeouts (319), and first in wins with a 34-7 report.
And she or he completed all of that whereas coping with a left hamstring damage from February by means of the ultimate sport of the School World Sequence, the place the Purple Raiders fell to the Texas Longhorns.
“I’m feeling good now. I really feel like each athlete goes by means of somewhat damage, particularly on the finish of the 12 months,” Canady says. “I’m simply blessed that I used to be nonetheless capable of play.”
Canady additionally flashed her versatility this season and shined in moments as an offensive participant, hitting 11 residence runs and notching 34 RBIs. A pitcher of Canady’s caliber additionally being that admirable on the plate could be a shock to some, however Canady is a naturally gifted all-around athlete.
At Topeka Excessive Faculty in her native Kansas, she was additionally a four-star prospect in basketball who had her personal recruiting profile on ESPN. Tabbed as a 6-foot ahead, the oldsters at ESPN wrote that Canady was a “bodily entrance courtroom performer (who) shows nimble footwork (and a) comfortable contact within the paint.” She was additionally given excessive marks for her capacity to attain in opposition to contact. Canady says that, like she is on the diamond, she was an “emotional” basketball participant.
NCAA guidelines enable athletes who’ve exhausted their eligibility in a single sport to play one other for one 12 months whereas pursuing a postgraduate diploma. Canady has given some consideration to a return to the hardwood, however she’s balancing that want with future ambitions in softball.
“I’ve thought of (basketball) somewhat bit,” Canady says. “But additionally, certainly one of my massive targets is (taking part in softball within the) 2028 Olympics. I’ll positively have to coach for that. However, nothing is off the desk, I’ll say.”
