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Why ace NiJaree Canady transferred to Texas Tech

Published

7 months ago

May 16, 2025

Dave WilsonMay 16, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
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LUBBOCK, Texas — Last July, pitcher NiJaree Canady shook college sports when she announced her transfer to Texas Tech and landed the richest softball NIL deal ever.

The reigning USA Softball National Player of the Year bolted from the hallowed halls of Stanford, where she had become a superstar after piloting the Cardinal to two straight Women’s College World Series appearances, finishing in the final four teams both times. Her new home would be on the arid plains of West Texas at a school that had never won a conference title and had won just 49% of its games — and 31% of its league games since the advent of the Big 12.

The transfer was met with awe: The Matador Club, Texas Tech’s NIL collective, made a historic play for Canady, offering a one-year, $1,050,024 contract (a million for Canady, $50k for living expenses, $24 for her jersey number).

Just more than a month after Red Raiders coach Gerry Glasco — who was hired from Louisiana on June 20, three days after Canady had entered the portal and started lining up visits — arrived in Lubbock, he landed the most valuable player in the country. He did it by pulling out all the stops, including recruiting calls from quarterback Patrick Mahomes to Canady, a Kansan who is a devoted Kansas City Chiefs fan.

Glasco, who didn’t have much in the way of NIL in Lafayette, had suddenly walked into what he believed was the best softball situation in America. Two of the Matador Club’s biggest boosters — Tracy Sellers, a former Tech softball player, and her husband, John, an oil and gas executive and former Red Raiders football player under Mike Leach — had been supporting softball for years. They donated $11 million to the athletic department in 2022, with $1 million designated for softball stadium upgrades.

Glasco said he was told Canady’s agent was initially seeking $400,000, which he thought was low for her to leave Stanford, where she was already a budding legend.

“My message was: We’re talking about Bo Jackson. We’re talking about Herschel Walker,” Glasco 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.”

Tracy thought it was worth making a statement at Texas Tech, a place where Sheryl Swoopes became a superstar and where the highway outside Rocky Johnson Field is named for former Red Raiders women’s basketball coach Marsha Sharp. After meeting with the star pitcher, Sellers decided if anyone was worthy of such an emphatic statement about investing in women’s sports, it was Canady.

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

Canady knew the spotlight would come with the news, but she hopes it opens the door for those who follow her to reap the benefits.

“There are a lot of male athletes who get that and it’s not a headline anymore,” Canady said. “I hope that happens for women’s sports, too. I feel like it can be a pressure if you let it be, but honestly, I think it’s just a privilege. I hope someone tomorrow comes in and builds it even more.”

Looking back at the Sellers’ donation for the softball facilities, the same size investment in Canady had a greater transformative impact.

This year, the Red Raiders won their first Big 12 regular-season and conference titles while Canady led the nation with a 0.81 ERA. She went 26-5, racking up the second-most wins in a season in school history. She was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year. On Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET, No. 12 seed Texas Tech (45-12), hosting its first Lubbock Regional, will play Brown (33-15).

“She definitely put Texas Tech softball on the map,” Tracy said.

CANADY WANTS TO make one thing clear: There’s more to the story than just a giant deposit.

“I feel like people thought I heard the number and just came to Texas Tech, which wasn’t the case at all,” she said she considered Tech’s offer for more than a month before she committed. “If I didn’t feel like Coach Glasco was an amazing coach and could lead this program to be where we thought it could be, I wouldn’t have come.”

Glasco, 66, is a wildly successful late bloomer in the softball world who won five conference titles with six trips to the NCAA regionals in six seasons at Louisiana. He wasn’t hired until Canady had already entered the portal, so he had to make up ground quickly, because he wasn’t exactly in the sweepstakes in Lafayette. But he had a secret weapon: Glasco was friends with Jim Huecker, a former travel ball coach and Canady’s longtime coach. And he knew what Huecker knew: Canady missed hitting as much as she loved pitching.

Canady grew up in Topeka, Kansas, as a multisport star, including playing basketball and tackle football against boys. On her girls’ basketball team in high school, Canady averaged 20.6 points and 12.3 rebounds during her junior year, leading Topeka High to the Kansas 6A state finals while also being the two-time Kansas Softball Gatorade Player of the Year and leading the team to its first two state titles. She dominated in the circle, obviously, but also hit .478 with 13 homers as a junior and .530 with 42 RBIs as a senior. After hitting just 35 times in two seasons at Stanford, Canady wanted to get back to being an all-around athlete.

And Glasco, who directed record-setting offenses as an assistant at Georgia and Texas A&M, surprised Canady by making hitting a centerpiece of his presentation, which comprised a stack of handwritten stat sheets and charts.

“That’s my lineup,” Glasco said, holding up the same poster he used to pitch Canady. “If you look, I’ve got ’em all and I’m promising her how many runs I’m going to score. The coaches wanted to put it in Excel, make it nice, but I said, ‘No, no, no. I want it because NiJa has to trust me. If it’s in my handwriting, this is better than on a computer because it has to be personal.’ I believe that was important.”

On most visits, Canady spent the bulk of her time with pitching coaches. But in Lubbock, Canady was so interested that she spent more time on her visit meeting with Glasco than she did with Tara Archibald, Glasco’s daughter who serves as associate head coach and pitching coach.

“I think I talked to Coach Tara maybe 20-30 minutes about pitching and then the rest of the time was just Coach Glasco talking about hitting,” Canady said. “Afterward, I had to go back and talk to Coach Tara a little more just because Coach Glasco and I spent so much time just talking about hitting, going through different swings, watching videos. And that was definitely different just because other schools were obviously more focused on my pitching.”

When Archibald left her head coaching job at Eastern Illinois, where she went 40-17 last season, to join her father’s staff July 3, she couldn’t have imagined landing Canady. But first, she had to wait on her dad, who can spin a few yarns.

Glasco coached his three daughters: Tara, Erin and the late Geri Ann, a former Gatorade National Player of the Year who died in a 2019 car accident when she was a volunteer coach for him at Louisiana.

“This is why I think I could identify with her,” Glasco said. “All three of my daughters pitched and played and hit. And when you’re an athlete, the one thing you don’t want to be is a pitcher only. In our sport, the pitcher is so important, so we limit them. And I think that’s what she felt like in her college career. … She wants the opportunity.”

Despite dealing with a soft-tissue injury in March and being limited, Canady has 81 at-bats this year, batting .309 with five doubles and eight homers. She leads the team with a .457 on-base percentage, thanks to her 13 walks and being hit by a pitch 10 times. Still, she takes violent cuts, looking to send the ball into orbit any chance she gets.

“I’m definitely trying to hit the ball out,” Canady said. “And that’s Coach Glasco’s motto, too. He loves the long ball.”

CANADY SAID THERE wasn’t much culture shock going from Palo Alto to Lubbock. She is from Topeka, after all.

“Lubbock reminds me more of home,” she said.

The major difference, she said, has been the atmosphere in Lubbock. Located five hours from Dallas and six from Austin, it’s its own outpost in West Texas. The Red Raiders are a devoted bunch.

“I think that was the biggest shock to me, just about how much sports matter here in Texas,” she said. “I remember my first football game here and just seeing how many people were here, that was definitely different.”

That legendary arm has proved useful at Tech football games, where she has admitted to sneaking in tortillas and winging them down toward the field, a tradition in Lubbock.

“There’s a whole science behind getting it far,” she said. “You have to put a hole in the center. There’s a certain way to throw it.”

And it didn’t hurt that another Red Raider with a legendary arm has become a big fan and made his own recruiting pitch. Canady, a huge Chiefs fan, was shocked when Mahomes interrupted his vacation in Italy to call her on her visit.

“I’m not going to say any names, but another program had a very important person call me and there was no caller ID, so I couldn’t call him back or anything,” Canady said. “But Patrick Mahomes, I have his number, I can reach out to him. So I think that’s cool. Last July, we were eating lunch and had a beautiful view of the whole football stadium. Someone told me, just send a picture to Patrick to see if he responds. He’s preparing for the season and then I think within 10 minutes he got back to me.”

Canady has that kind of star power, and she’ll undoubtedly draw more players who want to play alongside her next year, with more time for Glasco to work instead of the quick-assembly project he put together last season. Glasco thinks this year’s Red Raiders team can take anyone to the wire because of Canady, but is confident he can contend for a national championship next year, if not this year.

“I’ve never coached anybody close to her,” he said. “I’ve never coached this kind of pitcher in college. It has a huge effect. It makes up for a lot of bad coaching mistakes, I’ll tell you that.”

The partnership impacted all parties involved. She says it was hard to leave Stanford, her teammates and coaches behind, and yes, that Stanford degree. But Canady’s dream is to coach kids and open her own facility — or facilities — and her family feels the money will help her get there quickly.

“She wants to teach little girls to hit,” Glasco said. “She loves little kids. You can see it when she signs autographs.”

And it doesn’t hurt to have the Sellers in her corner.

“Why would you not want people you love to succeed? And so same with NiJa. I would go into business any day with her,” Tracy said. “She’s a celebrity in Lubbock, Texas. It’s not just about money. I really hope that story gets out about her.”

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Miami WR Malachi Toney Announces Career News Amid College Football Season

Published

52 minutes ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The No. 10 seed Miami Hurricanes defeated the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies 10-3 in the first round of the College Football Playoff. It was a defensive battle, ultimately decided by a late fourth-quarter score and red-zone interception by Miami.

With the score tied at 3 and 1 minute, 44 seconds left in the game, Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Carson Beck.

Up next for the Hurricanes is a Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic matchup against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s an uphill battle, as ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Hurricanes a 29.5% chance of winning.

Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10).© Robert Myers-Imagn Images

Before his heroic performance, though, the wide receiver revealed an exciting Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) update. In a joint Instagram post, Toney revealed a new NIL partnership with Hellstar, a popular clothing brand that has a sports training component.

“We are so proud to announce our first Hellstar Sports College Athlete NIL signing – Malachi Toney🌟.,” the post caption read. “We had the privilege to coach @malitoney10 while he was apart of our high school 7 on 7 program, so now seeing him shine on the collegiate level we couldn’t be more proud.”

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What Colorado’s Athletic Department Valuation Says About Buffaloes’ Growth

Published

2 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

In the growing landscape of college athletics, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals play a vital role in sports. Some programs are set up better than others based on a program’s valuation. Programs with higher valuations can help some of the top-performing teams stay successful.

CNBC released its valuation rankings for the country’s athletic departments, showing their growth from the 2024 fiscal year. The Colorado Buffaloes are ranked No. 47 in the nation, a rise from No. 55 in 2024.

Colorado Buffaloes valuation NIL transfer portal Deion Sanders Coach Prime Big 12 College Football Basketball Folsom Field — Nov 25, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion ‘Coach Prime’ Sanders on the field against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images | Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

Breaking Down Colorado Buffaloes’ Valuation Ranking

Colorado’s 2025 valuation is $574 million, with a year-over-year value change of 22 percent. The program’s 2024 revenue is set at $147 million, with a 16 percent year-over-year revenue change.

A program’s valuation determines its monetary worth, and it is important to look at the growth, which shows that Colorado is trending in the right direction. It is also important to note that the valuation rankings are based on all of the athletics, not just the football program.

Where Colorado Ranks In The Big 12

When focusing on the Big 12 conference, several of the programs are in the same vicinity with their valuation ranking.

No. 39 Kansas: $620M
No. 41 Oklahoma State: $600M
No. 42 Baylor: $585M
No. 46 Iowa State: $575M
No. 47 Colorado: $574M
No. 49 Texas Tech: $570M
No. 50 TCU: $568M
No. 55 Arizona: $529M
No. 57 BYU: $500M
No. 58 West Virginia: $481M
No. 60 Utah: $451M
No. 62 Kansas State: $435M
No. 63 Arizona State: $430M
No. 68 Cincinnati: $280M
No. 70 UCF: $262M
No. 73 Houston: $222M

MORE: Colorado Gets Hit With Biggest Transfer Portal Loss Yet

MORE: Michael Irvin Gets Real On Blame Surrounding Shedeur Sanders

MORE: Deion Sanders Faces Recruiting Problem After Omarion Miller Transfer News

While from the top valuation of Kansas to the bottom, which is Houston is a significant difference in the Big 12, the conference teams are still in a similar vicinity overall. With it having to do with all athletics, the programs that have consistently strong teams, such as Kansas’ basketball team, make sense to have a higher valuation.

Looking at the Big 12 as a whole shows that the Colorado Buffaloes are in the top five for their valuation and trending upward.

Calling Back To Deion Sanders’ Comments On Fairness

While valuation is not the same as revenue, seeing the difference in the conferences does call back to Colorado coach Deion Sanders’ comments on the fairness between programs. The schools in the top five for their valuation are either in the Big Ten or the SEC, and all are in the billions.

“You talk about equality,” Sanders said during the Big 12 media day. “All you have to do is look at the playoffs and see what those teams spent, and you understand darn near why they’re in the playoffs. It’s kind of hard to compete with somebody who’s giving $25, $30 million to a darn freshman class.”

Although the valuation is on the programs’ overall athletics, Sanders has been outspoken about money when it comes to building the football program. With the Buffaloes facing a mass exodus through the transfer portal, Sanders has highlighted that several players are leaving because of money.

The positive side is that the Buffaloes’ valuation is growing with a 22 percent increase. This shows that the school’s athletics overall are being valued higher, and will help lead to more money poured into the program. With more money, the Buffaloes can put more of an emphasis on NIL as they look to build their roster and compete in the Big 12.

Insider Reveals Biggest Reason Behind Colorado’s Transfer Portal Mass Exodus

Published

3 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

From a player retention standpoint, the first few weeks of the offseason haven’t been kind to the Colorado Buffaloes.

Several key Buffs have announced their intentions to enter the college football transfer portal when it opens next month, including wide receiver Omarion Miller, safety Tawfiq Byard and freshman defensive end Alexander McPherson. While every situation is unique, one Colorado insider believes money has been a common denominator among players’ reasons for leaving Boulder.

Insider Reasons Colorado Transfer Portal Exodus Buffaloes NIL Deion Sanders Alexander McPherson Tawfiq Byard Omarion Miller — Oct 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Omarion Miller (4) is tackled by Utah Utes defensive back JC Hart (14) during the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

“The super majority of those people, I’m talking 95 percent, are going to be leaving for a bigger bag,” Thee Pregame Show’s Uncle Neely said on his YouTube channel. “This ain’t transferring in 1990. This ain’t transferring in the year 2000. This is 2025. This is business now. This isn’t, ‘Oh, I don’t like the coach. Oh, I don’t want to be treated the way they treat me.’

“This doesn’t mean something is wrong. These are business decisions now. But what we like to do is run with the narrative that woe is me, something must be wrong, something must be going on. How are all these people leaving?”

The NIL (name, image and likeness) era has rocked college football, and the depressing truth is that schools with more money will ultimately land the best players. In the Big 12, no school better exemplifies that trend than new conference champion Texas Tech.

Who’s Leaving Colorado?

As of Sunday, 16 Colorado players will enter the transfer portal next month. That group includes 12 defensive players, six members of the Buffs’ 2025 high school signing class and a few other Buffs who spent only one season in Boulder.

Below is an updated list of Colorado players who plan on entering the transfer portal:

Safety TJ Branch
Defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis
Cornerback Noah King
Cornerback Teon Parks
Linebacker Mantrez Walker
Safety Terrance Love
Safety Tawfiq Byard
Wide receiver Omarion Miller
Defensive tackle Brandon Davis-Swain
Offensive lineman Carde Smith
Defensive end Alexander McPherson
Offensive lineman Tyler Brown
Defensive tackle Gavriel Lightfoot
Defensive tackle Christian Hudson
Defensive tackle Tawfiq Thomas
Wide receiver Dre’lon Miller

Uncle Neely shared his take that Colorado’s losses should be replaceable via the transfer portal.

“Have you ever stopped to say, what am I actually losing by those people leaving?” Uncle Neely said. “Have you ever looked at the numbers production-wise of who has announced that they’re getting up out of here and what you’re actually losing by them leaving?… Is it replaceable via the portal? And in this business in college football, is it replaceable cheaper? I would wager to say the answer is yes in all regards.”

MORE: Colorado Gets Hit With Biggest Transfer Portal Loss Yet

MORE: Michael Irvin Gets Real On Blame Surrounding Shedeur Sanders

MORE: Deion Sanders Faces Recruiting Problem After Omarion Miller Transfer News

The college football transfer portal will open on Jan. 2 and close Jan. 16. Colorado coach Deion Sanders and his staff can begin adding players from the portal at the start of that period.

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Report: LSU finalizes deal to hire Ole Miss’ Kevin Smith, puts him among highest paid RBs coaches

Published

4 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Lane Kiffin is bringing another Ole Miss assistant with him to LSU. According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, the Tigers have finalized a deal to hire Rebels running backs coach Kevin Smith for the same role.

Smith is reported to have a salary of close to $1 million, which would make him one of the highest-paid running backs coaches in the country. He is the sixth Ole Miss assistant to follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge.

The other coaches joining Kiffin at LSU are offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., tight ends coach Joe Cox, receivers coach Joe McDonald, inside receivers coach Sawyer Jordan and quarterbacks coach Dane Stevens. So far no defensive assistants from the Rebels have made the jump to Baton Rouge.

Smith worked with Kiffin as a running backs coach at Florida Atlantic form 2017-19 and joined his very first staff at Ole Miss in 2020. He stayed for the next two seasons in Oxford before leaving to take the running backs coach position at Miami in 2022.

Smith’s stint with the Hurricanes was a short-lived one as he returned to Ole Miss in 2023 and stayed through this season. Now he’ll look to continue the success he has enjoyed with Kiffin while building up the running backs room at LSU.

Smith helped to develop running backs such as Quinshon Judkins and Kewan Lacy during his time in Oxford. This past season, Ole Miss ranked fifth in the SEC with 185.6 rushing yards per game as Lacy led the conference with 21 rushing touchdowns and ranked second with 1,366 yards.

Ole Miss had its best season in program history this year to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time. However, Kiffin was not granted permission from the school to finish out the season with the Rebels after he accepted the LSU job.

Other assistants, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., were allowed to complete the playoff run with Ole Miss. The Rebels defeated Tulane in the first round and will face No. 3 Georgia, which they lost to earlier this season, in the quarterfinals.

As of right now, it looks like most of the Ole Miss offensive staff will follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge. The defensive side keep defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who has been on staff at LSU since 2024.

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Former 4-star QB announces plans to enter college football transfer portal

Published

7 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The quarterback market is expected to be extremely competitive this offseason.

A ton of experienced signal-callers have announced their decisions to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, including Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, North Texas’ Drew Mestemaker, Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, and TCU’s Josh Hoover, among countless others.

The right move can benefit young quarterbacks, as players such as USC’s Jayden Maiava and Oregon’s Dante Moore benefited from transferring early in their careers.

An offseason coaching change has led one former blue-chip recruit to explore his options in the portal.

Former Four-Star Quarterback Expected To Enter Portal

On Sunday, Memphis true freshman quarterback Antwann “AJ” Hill announced his plans to leave the program after one season, per On3.

Hill appeared in two games in 2025, earning a redshirt. His most extensive action came in a 31-24 loss to UAB on October 18. Hill entered the contest after starting quarterback Brendon Lewis went down with an injury. In roughly two quarters of action, he completed 13/25 passes for 176 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.

On the season, Hill connected on 19/32 passes for 223 yards with 1 touchdown to 1 interception.

Hill is transferring after Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield was hired away by Arkansas. The Razorbacks don’t have a ton of depth at quarterback. Redshirt freshman KJ Jackson holds the most experience on the roster with five appearances and one start last season.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Arkansas is involved in Hill’s transfer recruitment.

Hill was one of the highest-ranked prospects in program history to sign with Memphis. He was regarded as the No. 15 QB and a top-200 recruit in the 2025 class. Hill chose the Tigers over Florida following official visits to both schools.

During his prep career at Houston County High School, Hill compiled over 11,000 passing yards and led his team to at least one playoff victory in all three seasons as a starter.

Overall, Hill completed 800-of-1239 passes for 11,020 yards with 123 touchdowns to 20 interceptions. He added six more scores on the ground.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback is expected to have four seasons of eligibility remaining.

Former Carolina wide receiver set for WWE main roster debut

Published

8 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Former South Carolina wide receiver Matrick Belton is reportedly going to get a real shot on the main roster in the WWE. Belton, who goes by Trick Williams in the top professional wrestling and sports entertainment company, joined WWE in 2021 in the NXT brand. Now, he’s going to move up to either the Raw or Smackdown roster.

NXT is basically the developmental arm of WWE while Raw and Smackdown – shows on Mondays and Fridays, respectively – are considered the main roster. According to this report from PWInsider.com, Belton will make an appearance on the upcoming Smackdown, which was pre-taped.

Whether Belton moves to Raw or Smackdown is to be determined. Here’s the reporting from PWInsider:

Former WWE NXT and TNA Champion Trick Williams will debut on Smackdown on 12/26 with the storyline being he’s a free agent looking to sign with the brand. We are told Williams has not been officially listed internally on a brand yet, so he could appear on Raw in the upcoming weeks as well, but he’ll be moving to the main roster in 2026.

Belton is a two-time NXT champion and also held the TNA World Championship for 140 days earlier this year. Belton, a former SEC football player who was in the Philadelphia Eagles’ minicamp in 2018, recently got engaged to another former SEC athlete – women’s basketball player Anriel Howard, who played for three years at Texas A&M and her final year at Mississippi State.

Belton, a Columbia native who played for Keenan High School, joined the program in 2014 after spending his first two years out of high school at Hampton University. After sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules, Belton played in every game for South Carolina in 2015 and made five starts. He caught 11 passes for 121 yards his first season on the field.

As a senior in 2016, he played primarily on special teams, appearing in nine games. He played in 21 games over the course of his two-year career with the Gamecocks and made five starts.

Belton also spent time in training camp with Philadelphia Eagles. However, he decided to take a chance on pro wrestling and started training at the Combat Zone Wrestling Academy in New Jersey.

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