Texas Tech is on its way to its first-ever Women’s College World Series thanks to the arm of ace NiJaree Canady. The transfer pitcher from Stanford inked a historic name, image, likeness (NIL) deal with the Red Raiders worth just north of $1 million a year ago, but it’s clear she was worth the investment as Texas Tech swept Florida State in two Super Regional games on Friday.
Canady, last year’s National Player of the Year, pitched seven innings in Games 1 and 2. In the first game, she had four strikeouts, allowed just two hits and no earned runs; in the second, she had three strikeouts, three hits and an earned run.
The Matador Club, Texas Tech’s NIL collective, also gave Canady $50,000 for living expenses and $24 for her jersey number on top of the $1 million paycheck. They even had Kansas City quarterback (and Texas Tech alum) Patrick Mahomes call Canady, who is from Kansas and a fan of the Chiefs.
“My message was: We’re talking about Bo Jackson. We’re talking about Herschel Walker,” coach Gerry Glasco said this month, via ESPN. “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 explained that it wasn’t the money that made her decision, but the potential she saw in the team.
“I feel like people thought I heard the number and just came to Texas Tech, which wasn’t the case at all,” she told ESPN. “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.”
Nine months later, Glasco and Canady have brought the program to historic heights.