Sports
She's Softball's First $1 Million Pitcher—and She Could Be the Last
The Texas Tech softball team is just two wins away from the Women’s College World Series for one spectacular reason. It has a pitcher worth $1 million. That’s not hyperbole. Texas Tech’s booster collective actually paid NiJaree Canady a cool million to transfer from Stanford, where she was already a star, and suit up for […]

The Texas Tech softball team is just two wins away from the Women’s College World Series for one spectacular reason.
It has a pitcher worth $1 million.
That’s not hyperbole. Texas Tech’s booster collective actually paid NiJaree Canady a cool million to transfer from Stanford, where she was already a star, and suit up for the Red Raiders this season.
And it looks like money well spent. Canady is responsible for 58% of Texas Tech’s wins. She has posted 28 wins against just five losses and struck out 272 batters over 191 innings pitched through Tuesday.
“She’s one of the top women athletes, so in my mind she deserved what some of those male athletes are getting,” said Tracy Sellers, who funded an endorsement from the school’s donor collective with her husband, John, a former Red Raiders defensive lineman. “I hope it’s setting the stage for the next girl.”
But athletes like Canady are suddenly an endangered species. That’s because a new set of rules that would severely restrict how much boosters can pay college athletes is likely to be enacted in the coming days. The ripple effect could mean fewer softball players, golfers, sprinters and other athletes from lower-profile sports earning big paydays.
If and when Judge Claudia Wilken approves a settlement to a consolidation of three antitrust lawsuits brought by athletes against the major conferences and the NCAA, two big shifts are set to take place. First, each college athletic department will be allowed to share about $20 million of its annual revenues with athletes. But roughly 90% of that money is expected to go to the marquee sports of football and men’s basketball—leaving scraps for sports like softball.
Second, outside deals for athletes to profit from their name, image or likeness (NIL) would begin to go through a new clearinghouse overseen by Deloitte.
In that clearinghouse, deals by major companies like Nike or State Farm are likely to pass muster, said someone familiar with a committee set up by the Power 5 conferences and NCAA to implement the settlement. Deals like Canady’s, funded primarily by booster collectives, are not.
“Booster deals are going to be more difficult to pass,” the person familiar said, adding: “The system is set up to not allow third parties to pay for play.”
After Canady’s sophomore season at Stanford last year, the pitcher entered the transfer portal, where a handful of powerhouse schools lined up to woo her. But it was the last place she visited—Lubbock, Texas—that won Canady over.
The key piece of her move was an endorsement deal from the donor collective known as the Matador Club, worth just over $1 million.
Since the Sellers became billionaires by flipping oil and gas leases in West Texas’s Permian Basin, they’ve donated handsomely to their alma mater. The couple gave $11 million to Texas Tech athletics in 2022, including $1 million for softball facility upgrades.
Canady had six-figure offers from other schools, but nothing close to what the Matador Club offered. But John Sellers, who described himself as a “ready, fire, aim” kind of guy, wanted to make a statement.
But donors like the Sellers could soon become much less influential. That is down to college sports’ continued resistance to characterizing athletes as employees, a move that would require a slew of new rights and regulations.
“I think if people/donors want to invest in sports, specifically Olympic and female sports, they should be given that opportunity,” Canady said. “Oftentimes athletes in these sports don’t really have opportunities to make life-changing deals after college.”
The NIL clearinghouse won’t preclude athletes like Canady from signing endorsement deals, but it will bring considerably more oversight. The organization will want to know, for instance, how a booster club can get $1 million of value in marketing from a player with a profile like Canady, who has 34,000 followers on Instagram but is hardly a household name.
Colleges’ pot of revenue-sharing money won’t be subject to such scrutiny, meanwhile, as long as schools stay under the $20.5 million limit. So an offensive lineman, anonymous as he may be, could receive $1 million directly from his school. But a star lacrosse player would be hard-pressed to gain approval for a $1 million outside of an NIL deal bankrolled by a wealthy alum.
Some in college sports say nixing such deals risks pushing booster money back under the table—where it was for decades.
For the moment, before the settlement is approved, athletes and booster collectives are scrambling to cut deals under the old regulations. The Matador Club has already signed Canady to a one-year extension worth another $1 million, according to a person familiar with the deal.
“Until we figure out exactly what they’re going to let go on,” Tracy Sellers said, “why not keep going?”
Write to Rachel Bachman at Rachel.Bachman@wsj.com and Laine Higgins at laine.higgins@wsj.com
Sports
Chase Englestead – Men’s/Women’s Cross Country Head Coach – Women’s Cross Country/Track Coaches
Coaching Experience Riverton High School | Cross Country/Track Head Coach (14 Years) Timberline Middle School Utah Valley University Playing Experience Utah Valley University Panguitch High School Education B.S., Utah Valley University (2010) Prior to Snow College Englestead joins the Badgers after spending 14 years as the […]

Coaching Experience
- Riverton High School | Cross Country/Track Head Coach (14 Years)
- Timberline Middle School
- Utah Valley University
Playing Experience
- Utah Valley University
- Panguitch High School
Education
- B.S., Utah Valley University (2010)
Prior to Snow College
Englestead joins the Badgers after spending 14 years as the cross-country and track head coach at Riverton High School where he helped his team win five Cross-Country Region Championships as well as the 2014 Track and Field State Championship.
While at Riverton High School, Englestead was a two-time UHSAA Gold Star Coach Award winner and named coach of the year by the UHSXCA in 2022 and by the USTFCCCA in 2014. The Silverwolves were crowned the Running Lane Nationals Team Champions in 2022 and secured a ninth-place finish at the Nike Cross Country Nationals under Englestead’s direction the same year. This came following a 2021 season that saw the team land inside the top 20 in the National Cross-Country Rankings.
Englestead’s coaching career started in 2010 where he coached at Timberline Middle School and as a volunteer at Utah Valley University where he coached the steeplechase. During his career, Englestead has coached two future NCAA All-Americans and two future NJCAA All-Americans.
Englestead graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Physical Education degree at Utah Valley University in 2010 where he ran both track and cross-country. He was named the UVU cross-country Athlete of the Year in 2006 and 2007 and the UVU track Athlete of the Year in 2007 and 2008 and was also named an NJCAA All-American in the 3000-meter steeplechase. He’s a former UVU school record holder in the 1500-meter and the 3000-meter steeplechase.
Englestead prepped at Panguitch High School where he earned athletic letters in track and field, cross-country, basketball, baseball, wrestling, golf, and weightlifting. While there, he helped the Bobcats win three track and field state titles as well as state titles in basketball and baseball.
Sports
Volleyball Signs South Carolina Transfer Anna Wilson
HARRISONBURG, Va. – The James Madison volleyball program signed South Carolina transfer Anna Wilson to an aid agreement on Wednesday, July 9, Head Coach Lauren Steinbrecher announced. “We are so excited to have Anna Wilson join our JMU Volleyball program!” Steinbrecher said. “From the moment we connected with Anna, we knew she was a Duke […]

“We are so excited to have Anna Wilson join our JMU Volleyball program!” Steinbrecher said. “From the moment we connected with Anna, we knew she was a Duke with her energy, work-ethic, and drive. She is a mature, team-first competitor with absolutely contagious enthusiasm. Anna’s SEC experience and her hunger to grow will make an immediate impact on our gym. She’s the kind of person who makes everyone around her better, and we can’t wait to get started with her in Harrisonburg.”
Wilson, a middle blocker from Wilson, Ontario, spent the 2024 season at South Carolina after beginning her career at High Point (2022-23), where she played with current Duke Kennedy Louisell in 2023. Wilson will have two seasons of eligibility after redshirting in the 2022 season.
With the addition of Wilson, JMU’s 2025 roster is complete. The Dukes welcomed Louisell and Sydney Lewis (Coastal Carolina) as transfers along with five freshmen – Addie Norman (Wilmington, N.C.), Peri Linterman (Fredericksburg, Va.), Ana Toumazatos (Great Falls, Va.), B’Lise Bradley (Shaker Heights, Ohio), and Shelby Davis (Smithfield, Ky.).
Anna Wilson | 6-3 | Middle Blocker | Burlington, Ontario | South Carolina, High Point
South Carolina (2024):
- Played in eight matches and six sets for the Gamecocks
- Made her debut against No. 13 Kansas on Aug. 30
- Had two kills and a block against Stetson (Sep. 13)
High Point (2023):
- Played in 15 matches and 35 sets, totaling 26 kills at 0.76 per set
- Season-high seven kills vs. Winthrop in the Big South Championship match
- Accumulated 23 blocks with 18 assists and five solo
High Point (2022):
- Did not see any action as a freshman, redshirting
- Big South Presidential Honor Roll
High School / Club:
- Played at Nelson High School in Wilson, Ontario
- Helped Nelson earn an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) silver medal
- Played club for the Halton Hurricanes and Team Ontario, earning a Provincial Gold Medal with the 18u team in 2022
- Named to the Ontario Volleyball Association All-Star team in 2021
Personal:
- Daughter of Chris and Michelle Wilson
- Has two siblings, Brooke and Dylan
Sports
SEGG) Emerges from Lottery.com Rebrand with Global Sports, Entertainment and Gaming Vision
PRESS RELEASE Published July 9, 2025 SEGG Media (NASDAQ: SEGG), formerly Lottery.com Inc., has completed its corporate rebrand and strategic overhaul, signaling a new era as a global sports, entertainment, and ethical gaming conglomerate. Trading under the new SEGG ticker, the company now operates across three verticals: Sports.com (live streaming, sim racing, eSports), Entertainment (event […]

PRESS RELEASE
Published July 9, 2025

SEGG Media (NASDAQ: SEGG), formerly Lottery.com Inc., has completed its corporate rebrand and strategic overhaul, signaling a new era as a global sports, entertainment, and ethical gaming conglomerate. Trading under the new SEGG ticker, the company now operates across three verticals: Sports.com (live streaming, sim racing, eSports), Entertainment (event streaming, music, fashion), and Lottery.com (iGaming and charity-aligned gaming). Following a $300 million equity line, SEGG Media is focused on non-dilutive growth, asset-backed acquisitions, and fan-first digital experiences, with major initiatives expected in global motorsports, storytelling content, and branded facilities.
To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/g0WTK
About SEGG Media Corporation
SEGG Media is a global sports, entertainment and gaming group operating digital assets such as Sports.com and Lottery.com. Focused on immersive fan engagement, ethical gaming and AI-driven live experiences, SEGG Media is redefining how global audiences interact with the content they love.
For more information, visit the company’s website at:?https://seggmediacorp.com/
About TinyGems
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Sports
Season Review: 2025 Michigan Men’s Track and Field
Big Ten Indoor Championships: 8th of 15 (35 points) Big Ten Outdoor Championships: T11th of 17 (32) NCAA Outdoor Championships: No Team Score The University of Michigan men’s track and field team concluded its 2025 season earning one Big Ten Individual title, four Big Ten medals and setting a pair of program records. Individual Highlights […]

Big Ten Indoor Championships: 8th of 15 (35 points)
Big Ten Outdoor Championships: T11th of 17 (32)
NCAA Outdoor Championships: No Team Score
The University of Michigan men’s track and field team concluded its 2025 season earning one Big Ten Individual title, four Big Ten medals and setting a pair of program records.
Individual Highlights
• Trent McFarland earned his second career conference title with a record-setting performance in the mile run at the Big Ten Indoor Championships. McFarland set the meet record in the preliminary round (3:59.29) to top the previous standard of 4:00.56 set by U-M director of track and field and cross country Kevin Sullivan in 1998 before taking gold in the finals (4:03.56). The sophomore set the program 800-meter run record (1:47.22) at the Michigan Invitational earlier in the season.
• Graduate transfer John McNeil finished in the high jump after clearing a personal-best 2.16 meters (7 feet, 1 inch), while the 4×400-meter relay team of Krish Gupta, Miles Brown, Jacob Koerner and Jack Juds also took home bronze (3:08.81) at the conference meet.
• At the Penn Relays during the outdoor season, the 4×800-meter relay team of Camden Law, McFarland, Henry Johnson and Brendan Herger topped a 39-year-old record, shaving more than three seconds off the previous standard with a time of 7:14.65 to finish second.
• Amit Rutman, Gupta, Koerner and Corey Royster took down a 47-year-old record at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, finishing seventh in the 4x100m relay (39.87 seconds).
• Caleb Jarema improved his 2024 third-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, taking silver at the 2025 championships with a time of 8:42.53.
• Freshman Josh Huisman punched his ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a 10th-place finish in the shot put (18.95m/62-2.25) at the NCAA East First Round. Huisman went on to finish 20th (18.33m/60-1.75) at NCAAs.
• McFarland and Herger qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 1,500-meter run after finishing second (3:39.81) and fifth (3:39.81) in their respective quarterfinal heats at the NCAA East First Round. At the championship meet, the pair advanced to the final round, where Herger finished ninth (3:47.88) and McFarland finished 11th (3:47.94) overall. Herger was the lone freshman in the field of a tight race, with just 1.45 seconds separating the first- through 12th-place finishers.

Brendan
Herger

Josh
Huisman

Caleb
Jarema

Trent
McFarland
Honors and Awards
NCAA
All-America (Second Team): Brenden Herger (outdoor 1,500m), Trent McFarland (outdoor 1,500m)
All-America (Honorable Mention): Josh Huisman (outdoor shot put)
Big Ten Conference
Freshman of the Year: Brendan Herger (outdoor)
All-Big Ten (First Team): Trent McFarland (indoor)
All-Big Ten (Second Team): Caleb Jarema (outdoor)
Sportsmanship Award: John McNeil (indoor), Nolan Clark (outdoor)
College Sports Communicators
Academic All-District: Miles Brown, Aiden Felty, Owen MacKenzie, Jozef Meyers, John O’Reilly
Academic All-Big Ten
Peter Baracco, Jr., Economics
Will Barhite, Sr., Applied Exercise Science
Xander Black, Sr., Business Administration
Miles Brown, Sr., Movement Science
Nolan Clark, So., LSA Undeclared
Aiden Felty, Sr., Sport Management
Lawrence Gilliam, Sr., Business Administration
Ian Hill, Jr., Biology, Health, & Society
Kepler Huntress, So., Mathematics
Caleb Jarema, Jr., Business Administration
Henry Johnson, Sr., Applied Exercise Science
Jack Juds, Sr., Business Administration
Jack Kelke, Jr., General Studies
Liam Kinney, So., Data Science
Jacob Koerner, Sr., Applied Exercise Science
Jakob Kunzer, Gr., Accounting
Camden Law, So., Business Administration
Nathan Lopez, So., Business Administration
Owen MacKenzie, Gr., Biomedical Engineering
Heath McAllister, So., Mechanical Engineering
Trent McFarland, So., LSA Undeclared
Kyler McNatt, Jr., Aerospace Engineering
John McNeil, Gr., International and Regional Studies
Jozef Meyers, Gr., Architecture
John O’Reilly, So., Business Administration
Akili Parekh, So., Mathematics
Corey Royster, So., LSA Undeclared
Amit Rutman, So., Business Administration
Cole Sheldon, Jr., Environment
Jaden Simmons, So., LSA Undeclared
Jack Spamer, Sr., Electrical Engineering
Jake Steslicki, Jr., Economics
Luke Stowasser, Jr., Sport Management
Aiden Sullivan, So., Business Administration
Jake Wall, Jr., Sport Management
Eli Winter, Gr., Economics
Sports
Cal Poly Beach Volleyball Adds Four Transfers to 2026 Roster
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly beach volleyball head coach Todd Rogers has bolstered his 2026 roster with the addition of four new Division I transfers to have one of the best transfer classes in the country. The newcomers include Ashleigh Adams (Florida Atlantic), Peyton Dueck (UCLA indoor), Bailey Showalter (USC), and Julia Westby […]

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly beach volleyball head coach Todd Rogers has bolstered his 2026 roster with the addition of four new Division I transfers to have one of the best transfer classes in the country.
The newcomers include Ashleigh Adams (Florida Atlantic), Peyton Dueck (UCLA indoor), Bailey Showalter (USC), and Julia Westby (Long Beach State). Combined between the four of them, there are seven all-conference selections, three AVCA Top Flight awards, and one AVCA All-American.
“I’m super excited to announce our 2025-26 transfer class,” said head coach Todd Rogers. “I think it is one of, if not the best in the nation this year. We are adding some talented players from rival schools, an All-American from across the country and welcoming back an old friend to finish up what she started. It is a great group of young ladies who will raise the level and expectations immediately when they step foot on the sand at the Swanson Beach Complex.”
More about the transfers:
Sports
KU’s post-House plan includes 25 new athletic scholarships, primarily in women’s sports | News, Sports, Jobs
photo by: Kansas Athletics KU athletic director Travis Goff speaks at volleyball coach Matt Ulmer’s introductory press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. Frisco, Texas — The announcement of Kansas baseball coach Dan Fitzgerald’s amended six-year contract in June provided some insight into KU’s future […]


photo by: Kansas Athletics
KU athletic director Travis Goff speaks at volleyball coach Matt Ulmer’s introductory press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.
Frisco, Texas — The announcement of Kansas baseball coach Dan Fitzgerald’s amended six-year contract in June provided some insight into KU’s future plans in the wake of the House v. NCAA settlement by suggesting that the baseball program would receive “an increase in scholarships.”
The House settlement, which became effective on July 1, replaced previous scholarship limits with newly devised roster limits under which any number of players can be on scholarship.
In some sports, that allows for the possibility of a dramatic increase in investment. For example, college baseball teams can now furnish scholarships to as many as 34 players on their rosters, compared to the previous limit of 11.7.
“That’s been one of the lowest-scholarshiped programs in college athletics,” KU athletic director Travis Goff said. “And so we really see that one as an opportunity to move the needle.”
Indeed, at Big 12 media days on Wednesday, Goff explained further details of in which sports KU plans to boost its athletic scholarship totals.
In all, the department is adding about 25 new scholarships. As Goff put it, KU is “beholden and committed” as a result of Title IX to factoring in its on-campus gender ratio with its athletic scholarship offerings. While KU’s population is currently about 53% female and 47% male and trending toward 55-45, Goff said, 70% of the new scholarships will go to women’s sports, including specifically soccer, softball, women’s track and field, and volleyball. Meanwhile, baseball will be one of the main men’s sports benefiting from the remaining 30%.
Under the new rules, any money that KU spends on additional scholarships beyond its previous offerings will be deducted from the recently implemented cap of $20.5 million that the athletic department can pay its athletes across all sports. (The maximum dollar amount allowed for new scholarship offerings this year is $2.5 million, which KU won’t get close to by providing just 25 scholarships.)
At the same time, KU also plans to participate in revenue sharing for baseball and therefore find a balance between the two methods of bolstering its program.
“We’re not going haywire in any of those, but we think the combination creates a really competitive opportunity for baseball to be certainly relevant in this next chapter,” Goff said.
While baseball will be one of the main beneficiaries of additional scholarship investment, Fitzgerald previously said that it wasn’t necessarily a topic in his contract discussions specifically.
“There are things we’re doing this year, but it’s going to be different next year,” he said on July 2. “Our numbers do increase next year. I don’t think any of us know what this is going to look like three years from now.”
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