Why Texas Tech could blow up the 2025 WCWS bracket
The Oklahoman’s Jenni Carlson breaks down why Texas Tech and NiJaree Canady will be the team to break the Women’s College World Series bracket this year.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this file was published ahead of the WCWS championship series. It has been updated to reflect NiJaree Canady’s new NIL deal at Texas Tech.
One year removed from leading Stanford to back-to-back Women’s College World Series appearances and winning the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, NiJaree Canady has single-handedly pitched No. 12 Texas Tech to Oklahoma City while continuing to be the best pitcher in the country.
She’s also the most expensive arm in college softball.
The 6-foot junior right-hander has delivered on every dollar of her record-breaking NIL deal with Texas Tech. She has taken the Red Raiders on a historic run, leading the program into the Women’s College World Series championships series for the first time.
Texas Tech looks to become the first program since Florida State in 2018 to be crowned a first-time WCWS national champion on June 6 in Game 3 of the WCWS championship series against No. 6 Texas. The Red Raiders and Longhorns are scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET first pitch on June 6 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
Here’s what to know about Canady’s NIL situation at Texas Tech ahead of the Women’s College World Series:
How much does NiJaree Canady make at Texas Tech?
Canady signed a one-year, $1,050,024 NIL contract with Texas Tech’s NIL collective, The Matador Club, last July when she transferred to the Red Raiders from Stanford for the 2025 softball season. Her contract is broken down to $1 million for Canady herself, $50K for living expenses and $24 for her jersey number.
Before Game 3 of the WCWS championship series, ESPN reported on June 6 that Canady and The Matador Club came to an agreement on another seven-figure NIL deal for the upcoming 2026 season. On3’s Pete Nakos reported on June 6 that Canady’s new NIL deal is for at least $1.2 million.
“Nija Canady is the most electrifying player in softball. She’s box office and she goes out every day and competes,” Canady’s manager, Derrick Shelby, told ESPN on June 6. “The decision to stay at Tech was not difficult. This program has taken care of her. They have showed how much she is appreciated. The entire staff, her teammates, the school in general have been great. Tonight she is playing for a national championship and she is making history. Everything she wants from this game she can get here at Texas Tech.”
NiJaree Canady Texas Tech NIL situation, explained
When Canady entered the transfer portal last July, it caused some shock waves throughout college softball, mainly because she excelled at Stanford and made the Women’s College World Series in back-to-back seasons with the Cardinal.
Canady choosing Texas Tech was also a bit of a shock.
The Red Raiders had just hired a new head coach in Gerry Glasco after his predecessor, Craig Snider, resigned. The sport’s biggest brands — Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee, to name a few — were also involved in the Canady sweepstakes. But with name, image and likeness dominating all college sports, the Red Raiders had a life-altering package for Canady.
On top of Glasco, the two catalysts behind Texas Tech’s negotiation efforts with Canady were Tracy and John Sellers, former Texas Tech athletes who are two of the Red Raiders’ biggest boosters. Tracy Sellers played softball at Texas Tech from 2001-03 and made 89 starts while totaling 58 hits.
“My message was: We’re talking about Bo Jackson. We’re talking about Herschel Walker,” Glasco told ESPN on what he told the Sellers. “We’re talking about a once-in-a-generation player that’s already made a name all over America. She’s a folk hero in our sport and she’s a sophomore.”
Canady then came down to Lubbock, Texas, for a visit with the Red Raiders.
“We look at it as they deserve it just as much (as male athletes). She worked so hard to be the No. 1 pitcher in the country. … I left that meeting and thought, this is who I would love to put a lot of effort into because of who she is,” Glasco told ESPN regarding Texas Tech’s financial commitment to Canady.
So, how did the nation’s best pitcher and reigning USA Softball Collegiate Pitcher of the Year hit the open market? According to The Athletic, Canady’s family approached Stanford’s NIL collective, Lifetime Cardinal, seeking a new NIL deal for her during her freshman season.
Stanford and Lifetime Cardinal did not give a new deal to Canady that season. The NIL collective also didn’t give Canady a new NIL contract last season, when she was named the best player in college softball, until the last day the NCAA portal was open.
So, Canady hit the portal. The belief was the starting rate for Canady was in the range of $100,000-$150,000, per The Athletic.
Stanford was prepared to follow up its initial offer to Canady with a “much larger offer” that would have been “within shouting distance” of Texas Tech’s offer to Canady, per The Athletic. However, once Canady took her recruiting visit to Texas Tech, the odds of her returning to Stanford took a turn for the worse.
The Red Raiders also let Canady do something she was unable to at Stanford: hit. In 55 games this season, Canady has posted a .312 batting average with a slugging percentage of .720 and an on-base percentage of .454. She has recorded 34 RBIs, 29 hits and 11 home runs.
The Red Raiders checked all the boxes for Canady while making her a $1 million arm.
NiJaree Canady stats
Canady enters the Women’s College World Series with the nation’s best ERA (0.89) in 205 innings of work. She’s struck out 279 batters and recorded a 30-5 record.
Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of Canady’s collegiate stats:
- 2023 (Stanford): 17-3 record in 33 appearances (10 complete games) with a 0.57 ERA, 218 strikeouts and four saves in 135 innings of work. She allowed 64 hits and 13 runs (11 earned runs).
- 2024 (Stanford): 24-7 record in 41 appearances (29 complete games) with a 0.73 ERA, 337 strikeouts and five saves in 230⅔ innings of work. She allowed 116 hits and 37 runs (24 earned runs).
- 2025 (Texas Tech): 30-5 record in 40 appearances (33 complete games) with a 0.89 ERA, 279 strikeouts and two saves in 205 innings of work. She’s allowed 107 hits and 37 runs (26 earned runs).
