Nationwide — NiJaree Canady, a 22-year-old African American girl, has change into the primary faculty softball athlete to signal a million-dollar NIL deal. She moved from Stanford to Texas Tech and landed a file $1,050,024 contract.
Canady’s switch to Texas Tech introduced within the greatest Title, Picture, and Likeness (NIL) deal ever in faculty softball. Matador Membership, tied to the college, gave her a one-year contract price over $1 million, $1 million in direct cost, $50,000 for dwelling bills, and $24 to match her jersey quantity, in response to USA Today.
Canady, the present USA Softball Nationwide Participant of the 12 months, entered the switch portal simply days earlier than Coach Gerry Glasco was employed. He moved shortly to recruit her, with assist from NFL quarterback and Texas Tech alum Patrick Mahomes. Glasco promised not only a place within the lineup but in addition extra possibilities to hit and develop her all-around sport.
The college’s softball program had already seen massive assist from donors, with tens of millions invested in upgrades. Whereas the contract raised eyebrows, Canady mentioned the teaching employees and imaginative and prescient for the group performed a much bigger function in her resolution.
She discovered the shift from Palo Alto to Lubbock straightforward, saying Texas reminded her extra of dwelling. She additionally preferred how a lot time Glasco spent serving to her enhance her hitting, which she mentioned different colleges hadn’t prioritized.
Regardless of a minor harm, Canady had a breakout season. She led the Crimson Raiders to their first Large 12 regular-season and convention titles with a 26-5 file and the nation’s greatest ERA of 0.86. She additionally delivered a 2-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts to win Texas Tech’s first Ladies’s Faculty World Collection sport.
Coach Glasco says Canady is the perfect pitcher he’s ever coached. He sees her main the group to a nationwide title.
Off the sphere, Canady hopes to encourage the following era. She enjoys signing autographs and desires of serving to younger women be taught to hit.
Born in Topeka, Kansas, Canady was a multisport athlete in highschool, enjoying softball, basketball, and even sort out soccer.
