NIL
Mahomes lauds NiJaree Canady, Texas Tech softball at WCWS finals
Why Texas Tech, Texas will win 2025 WCWS It’s a Lone Star State Women’s College World Series this year, and reporter Jenni Carlson breaks down one reason Texas Tech will win and one reason Texas will win the WCWS. Patrick Mahomes continues to show his love toward Texas Tech softball, as the Red Raiders compete […]
Why Texas Tech, Texas will win 2025 WCWS
It’s a Lone Star State Women’s College World Series this year, and reporter Jenni Carlson breaks down one reason Texas Tech will win and one reason Texas will win the WCWS.
Patrick Mahomes continues to show his love toward Texas Tech softball, as the Red Raiders compete in their first-ever Women’s College World Series championship series.
The latest gesture was taking a flight to Oklahoma City to be in attendance for Game 2 of the WCWS finals between the Red Raiders and Texas at Devon Park.
“First off, I love Texas Tech and everything Texas Tech is about. To have NiJa (NiJaree Canady) here, along with the other girls, it’s been fun to watch,” Mahomes told ESPN’s Holly Rowe alongside his wife, Brittany Mahomes, during the telecast. “I’ve always loved softball and watched it. I’m happy to be back in the Olympics and glad to have them here in Oklahoma City.”
The three-time Super Bowl champion also spoke at length about Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady, who is a big reason why the Red Raiders were able to make it to the WCWS for the first time in program history and in Year 1 of the Gerry Glasco era in Lubbock.
“It’s special. The way she’s able to control the softball and the way she’s able to locate in the strike zone, I mean it is special,” Mahomes told Rowe on Canady’s arm talent in the circle. “And to be able to watch it firsthand all season long, you know why we’re in the position that we’re in. It starts off with her and her leadership.”
Canady entered Game 2 of the WCWS with a 33-6 overall record and a nation’s best 0.94 ERA on the season. The Stanford transfer signed a $1,050,024 million dollar NIL deal with the Red Raiders over the offseason, a process that Mahomes was believed to have played a part in.
In August, Mahomes signed Canady and five other Texas Tech student-athletes to his Adidas “Team Mahomes” NIL team, a NIL partnership that allows all six student-athletes to participate in brand marketing campaigns, including for Mahomes’ signature shoe and apparel line with Adidas.
Mahomes finished with 11,252 career passing yards and 93 career touchdowns in his three seasons at Texas Tech from 2014-2016. He’d be taken with the No. 10 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Chiefs. Ahead of Game 1 of the WCWS, Mahomes sent varsity letter jackets and Adidas shoes to each member of the Red Raiders team.
Texas Tech is looking to extend the best-of-three WCWS championship series against Texas another day by forcing the “If Necessary” Game 3 on June 6 with a win on Thursday.