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A year ago, Texas Tech softball was languishing.

The Red Raiders were coming off a season in which they went just 8-16 in Big 12 play and finished in eighth in their 10-team conference. From 2002 through 2024, they finished with a winning record in league play just once and went 120-281 against Big 12 opponents.

This season, things have been just a little bit different. 

REQUIRED READING: NiJaree Canady’s HR, pitching gem puts Texas Tech softball on verge of Women’s College World Series

Texas Tech has authored one of the biggest turnarounds in the sport, with a program-record 50 wins and Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles to its name. Already in the super regionals for the first time in program history, its victories Thursday and Friday against Florida State in the Tallahassee Super Regional sent it to the Women’s College World Series.

The biggest catalyst behind that dramatic improvement isn’t much of a mystery.

NiJaree Canady has been one of the biggest stars in college softball over the past several seasons, winning national player of the year honors as a sophomore in 2024. Weeks after earning that distinction, Canady stunned much of the college softball world by leaving Stanford and ending up at Texas Tech, where she had 29 wins and a Division I-best 0.88 ERA heading into Friday while helping the Red Raiders reach new heights as a program.

Though other factors have played a role in Texas Tech’s rise — namely, first-year Gerry Glasco and some of the impactful transfers he brought with him from Louisiana-Lafayette — none have been as consequential as Canady, whose excellence inside the pitching circle has the Red Raiders on a historic run.

Here’s a closer look at Canady, her career and how she ended up at Texas Tech:

REQUIRED READING: NiJaree Canady finishes Super Regional sweep to send Texas Tech softball to Women’s College World Series

NiJaree Canady stats

From virtually the moment she stepped foot on a college softball diamond two years ago, Canady has been one of the sport’s brightest stars and most dominant forces.

She helped lead Stanford to a pair of Women’s College World Series appearances in 2023 and 2024. She earned several national freshman of the year awards in 2023 and followed it up with an even more impressive 2024 season that culminated with winning USA Softball player of the year.

In her first season at Texas Tech, she hasn’t fallen off much, if at all, entering Friday’s game against Florida State with a 29-5 record, 0.88 ERA, 276 strikeouts and just 40 walks. She’s one of three finalists for USA softball player of the year honors and could become the sixth person to win the award multiple times.

Here’s a year-by-year look at Canady’s college stats:

• 2025 (Texas Tech): 29-5 record, 0.88 ERA, 276 strikeouts, 40 walks, 17 complete games
• 2024 (Stanford): 24-7 record, 0.73 ERA, 337 strikeouts, 44 walks, 24 complete games
• 2023 (Stanford): 17-3 record, 0.57 ERA, 218 strikeouts, 21 walks, 10 complete games

After logging only 35 at-bats in two seasons at Stanford, Canady has been a force at the plate this season for Texas Tech, with a .322 average, a team-high 11 home runs and 34 RBIs in 90 at-bats for the Red Raiders.

NiJaree Canady NIL deal

In the era of name, image and likeness deals for college athletes, Canady’s value to Texas Tech and the school’s desire to bring her into the program can be quantified.

As part of her commitment to the Red Raiders, Canady earned a one-year contract worth a reported $1,050,024 from the Matador Club, Texas Tech’s NIL collective. It is believed to be the most lucrative deal ever for a college softball player. Canady chose the Red Raiders despite Stanford preparing her a six-figure offer that would have made her the highest-paid female athlete in school history, according to a report from ESPN.

Canady’s NIL deal with Texas Tech was made possible in part by two Matador Club boosters, John Sellers, an oil and gas executive, and his wife, Tracy, a former Texas Tech softball player.

“She is a wonderful human being,” Tracy Sellers said to ESPN. “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.”

REQUIRED READING: Offensive output catching up to Texas Tech softball’s pitching ahead of Super Regional

How tall is NiJaree Canady?

Canady is listed at 6 feet tall on Texas Tech’s official roster.

Where is NiJaree Canady from?

Canady is from Topeka, Kansas. She was a two-time Kansas softball player of the year at Topeka High School, which she led to back-to-back state titles. As a junior, she had a 0.26 ERA with 232 strikeouts while hitting .478 and 13 home runs.

Her connection to her home state ended up coming in handy for Texas Tech. While she was visiting the school’s Lubbock campus after entering the transfer portal last summer, Canady, a Kansas City Chiefs fan, received a call from former Red Raiders star Patrick Mahomes, who has an NIL initiative with the school through Adidas.

NiJaree Canady parents

Canady is the daughter of Bruce and Katherine Canady. Her father played college football at Division II Washburn University in Kansas while her younger brother, BJ, is a redshirt freshman defensive lineman at Cal

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Management and the Board of Directors (“Board”) of Nabors Industries Ltd. (the “Company”) are committed to conducting business consistent with good corporate governance practice. In 2002 our Board established a Governance and Nominating Committee, now named the Environmental, Social, and Governance Committee, (the “Committee” or “ESG Committee”). All Committee members are required to be independent directors, as provided in these guidelines and the requirements of the New York Stock Exchange or other exchange on which the Company’s securities may be listed from time to time (the “Exchange”).

The Committee directed the preparation of these Corporate Governance Guidelines (the “Guidelines”), and the Board adopted them initially on July 17, 2002. The Committee and the Board will continue to assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of these Guidelines, and changes to these Guidelines will be considered and made from time to time, as deemed appropriate by the Committee. The Guidelines, as updated from time to time, will be published in order to inform shareholders of the Board’s current thinking with respect to selected corporate governance issues. Compliance with the Guidelines is required of all directors and shall be reviewed at least annually in connection with the preparation of Nabors’ proxy statement. Each director will be asked to confirm his or her compliance with the Guidelines.

Board Mission & Objectives

Mission Statement

Nabors’ primary objective is to maximize long-term shareholder value while adhering to the laws of the jurisdictions in which it operates and at all times observing the highest ethical standards.

Corporate Authority & Responsibility

Unless reserved to the shareholders under applicable law, all corporate authority resides in the Board as the representative of the shareholders. Certain authority is delegated to management by the Board in order to implement the Company’s mission. Such delegated authority includes the authorization of spending limits and the authority to hire employees and terminate their services. The Board retains responsibility to recommend candidates to the shareholders for election to the Board of Directors. The Board retains responsibility for selection and evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), oversight of the succession plan, determination of senior management compensation, approval of the annual budget and assurance of adequate systems, procedures and controls. Additionally, the Board provides advice and counsel to senior management.

Directors

Board Membership Criteria

The Committee is responsible for reviewing with the Board, on a periodic basis, the appropriate skills and characteristics desirable for new Board members in the context of the current composition of the Board. This assessment places primary emphasis on the following criteria:

• Reputation, integrity and judgment;

• Independence (for non-management directors);

• Business or other relevant experience;

• Diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds and experience, including a consideration of gender, race and age;

• The extent to which the interplay of the nominee’s expertise, skills, knowledge and experience with that of the other members of the Board of Directors will result in an effective board that is responsive to the needs of the Company; and

• For current directors, history of attendance at Board and committee meetings, as well as preparation for, participation in and contributions to the effectiveness of those meetings.

  Resignation

  Any director nominee who does not receive the affirmative vote of the majority of the shares voted in connection with his or her uncontested election shall promptly tender his or her conditional resignation from the Board. No such resignation shall take effect unless and until accepted by the Board. The Committee (excluding the director in question) will review the matter and make a recommendation to the Board whether or not to accept the resignation. The resignation will be accepted unless the Board determines that to accept the resignation would not be in the best interests of the Company, in which case the Board will announce its reasons for such determination.

  Change in Professional Responsibility

  When an individual’s professional responsibilities change, the Board shall consider whether the change directly or indirectly impacts that person’s ability to fulfill his or her directorship obligations. To facilitate the Board’s consideration, each director shall advise the Committee as a matter of course upon retirement, a change in employer, or other significant change in his or her professional roles and responsibilities, particularly where such change may impact the independence of an outside director. This duty to advise shall, for the avoidance of doubt, include a duty to advise the Board prior to accepting a seat on another board. The Committee should consult with the affected director, assess the director’s ability to continue to fulfill the responsibilities of Board membership, and make an appropriate recommendation to the Board.

  Former Chairman/Chief Executive Officer’s Board Membership

  The Board believes continued Board membership by a former Chairman or CEO is a matter to be decided in each individual instance. It is expected that when the Chairman or CEO is no longer employed by the Company in that capacity, he or she should tender his or her resignation from the Board at the same time. Whether the individual continues to serve on the Board is a matter for

  consideration at that time with the new Chairman or CEO and the Board. A former CEO or executive Chairman serving on the Board will not be considered an independent director for purposes of voting on matters of corporate governance until he or she satisfies the independence criteria established by the SEC and the Exchange.

  Identification and Recruitment of Board Members

  One of the tasks of the Committee is to identify and recruit candidates to serve on the Board. Candidates shall be presented to the Board for consideration, together with the Committee’s recommendations. The invitation to join the Board should be extended by the Board itself via the Chairman and CEO of the Company, together with an independent director, when appropriate.

  Independent Directors

  At least a majority of the Board of Directors shall be independent under applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and the Exchange in effect from time to time. The Board has established the following guidelines to assist in determining director independence. A director generally will not be considered independent if he or she:

• has been employed by the Company, or has an immediate family member who has been employed by the Company in an executive capacity, within the last three years;

• has been employed by the Company’s independent auditor within the last three years;

• is affiliated with a company that is an advisor or consultant to the Company or to a member of the Company’s senior management;

• is affiliated with a significant customer or supplier of the Company (that is, a customer that accounts for more than 5% of the Company’s revenues or a supplier that receives more than 5% of its revenues from the Company);

• has personal services contract(s) with the Company or a member of the Company’s senior management;

• is affiliated with a not-for-profit entity that receives significant contributions from the Company;

• within the last three years, has had any business relationship with the Company (other than service as a director) for which the Company has been required to make disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K of the SEC as currently in effect (unless determined otherwise by the Committee after consideration of all the facts and circumstances);

• is employed by a public company at which an executive officer of the Company serves as a director;

• is a current employee, or has an immediate family member who is a current executive officer, of a company that has made payments to or received payments from the Company for property or services in an amount which, in any of the last three fiscal years, exceeds the greater of $1 million or 2% of such other company’s consolidated gross revenues, determined in accordance with applicable Exchange guidance;

• has had any of the relationships described above with any affiliate of the Company, or

• has been a member of the immediate family of any person who has had any of the relationships described above during the last three years.

The Committee shall annually review and make a determination of the independence of each director. The Committee shall also review and determine a director’s independence upon a change in the director’s professional responsibilities, a related-party transaction involving the director or any other changed circumstance warranting review by the Committee.

Related-Party Transactions

The Committee shall review and approve, in advance, any related-party transaction involving an officer or director of the Company. Any interested director shall abstain from the discussion and vote regarding the transaction, except to respond to questions from Committee members. In making its determination, the Committee shall consider the fairness of the transaction and the impact of the transaction on the director’s independence.

Outside Directorships

The CEO and senior management of Nabors should limit directorships (excluding non-profit) to no more than two public directorships. Directors that are not members of senior management should limit directorships (excluding non-profit) to no more than four public directorships. All directors should advise the Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Committee in advance of accepting an invitation to serve on another board.

The ESG Committee shall ensure that all members of the Board have sufficient time to devote to Company matters, including by monitoring director capacity and reviewing the acceptability of outside directorships. The ESG Committee shall, at least annually, review the capacity of all members of the Board to confirm whether directors have capacity sufficient to meet the obligations of a Director of the Company. In connection with this review, the ESG Committee may consider factors including, but not limited to:

• a director’s meeting attendance record;

• whether a director is currently employed or retired from full-time employment;

• the number of other boards of which a director is member and the time demands of such boards;

• the role of a director on other boards;

• any industry or other commonalities between outside boards that aid in the director’s efficiencies serving on such boards;

• a director’s individual contributions at Board meeting and Board committee meetings;

• a director’s general engagement, effectiveness, and preparedness; and

• any other director commitments.

Attendance at Meetings

Directors are expected to attend all Board and committee meetings in person. Directors shall be prepared by reviewing in advance all materials and be present at the meeting in person until its adjournment.

Compensation of Directors

In order to align the interests of directors and shareholders, directors will be compensated in the form of cash and company equity, with equity constituting a substantial portion of the total. Furthermore, a director compensation policy limits each non-employee director’s individual compensation to a maximum of $750,000 per calendar year (the “Non-Employee Director Compensation Limitation”). Under the Non-Employee Director Compensation Limitation, the Board has the authority to make decisions with respect to director compensation within the

$750,000 limit. In other words, such compensation may consist of cash, equity grants or other amounts, but cannot in any event exceed $750,000 per non-employee director per calendar year. In the event the Board wishes to approve or provide compensation that exceeds the limitation, the Board is required to seek shareholder approval.

Direct Investment in the Company Stock by Directors

To better align the directors’ interests with that of the Company’s shareholders, the Board believes that each director should own Nabors common shares having a share value of at least five times the annual cash retainer paid to directors (exclusive of any portion of the retainer received as a member or chair of any Board committee). Share value for purposes of the guidelines is determined as of the date of grant for vested or unvested restricted share awards (including Restricted Stock Units) or, in the case of open market purchases, the date of acquisition. Each director has three years from the date of his or her first election to the Board by the shareholders to meet the ownership requirements of the guidelines and, once met, is deemed to be in compliance so long as his or her ownership does not fall below the amount established at the time he or she was first elected to the Board.

Service Limitations of Directors

The Board does not believe it should establish term limits. Although term limits could help ensure that there are fresh ideas and viewpoints available to the Board, they hold the disadvantage of losing the contribution of directors who have been able to develop, over a period of time, increasing insight into the Company and its operations and, therefore, provide an increasing contribution to the Board as a whole.

As an alternative to term limits, the Committee, in conjunction with the CEO, will formally review each director’s continuation on the Board every year. This will also allow each director the opportunity to confirm his or her desire to continue as a member of the Board.

In addition, the Board has an age limit of 75 for directors to be eligible for nomination, such that no director may run for reelection after attaining age 75 at the time of the next scheduled annual

Associated Press

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay is seeking NCAA approval to compete in The Basketball Tournament, an event that typically features former college basketball players and offers a $1 million prize to the winning team.

ESPN says that Green Bay is seeking an NCAA waiver that would enable it to compete in this event rather than going on an international tour. NCAA rules allow college teams to make an overseas trip to play in exhibition games once every four years.

Green Bay athletic director Josh Moon told ESPN that the request was about providing the team more opportunities to play and suggested the prize money could go to a charity if the Phoenix happened to win the single-elimination tournament.

According to ESPN, Green Bay made the same request last year but received a denial that arrived too late for the school to file an appeal. Green Bay went 4-28 last year in the inaugural season of Doug Gottlieb’s coaching tenure.

The Basketball Tournament started in 2014 and often features teams of former college or pro players representing their alma maters. Carmen’s Crew, a team made up of Ohio State alumni, won the tournament last year for the second time.

This year’s championship game will take place Aug. 3.

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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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