NPOY NiJaree Canady signs record NIL deal with Texas Tech

LUBBOCK, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – Texas Tech softball made national headlines this week after landing the nation’s top softball player, junior transfer pitcher from Stanford NiJaree Canady. Canady’s recruitment was highly followed, coming off a National Player of the Year season and back-to-back Women’s College World Series trips with Stanford, and news of her commitment to the Red Raiders sent shockwaves through the sport.

ESPN softball analyst Amanda Scarborough posted in X , “Well this sure does change the landscape of the 2025 season,” after Canady posted the announcement.

ESPN reported that Canady was offered a 7-figure name, image, and likeness deal, the first of its kind in college softball.

Canady told ESPN, “I feel like we need to invest in women’s sports. We saw it with women’s basketball this year: You invest in women’s sports and women’s basketball just blew up on a national stage. I think the same thing has happened with softball… If I’m even a little part of that, that’s my whole dream.”

The signing was a major splash for first-year head coach Gerry Glasco, who was hired by the Red Raiders after a successful stint at Louisiana. He said money was only part of Canady’s decision, but that he was admittedly surprised by the NIL offer.

“None of the NIL stuff involves the coaching staff or the coach and you hear rumors and I’ve read stuff in the paper… it shocked me when I saw the number,” Glasco said.

The deal would make Canady one of, if not, the highest-paid softball player in the country, opening the door for other top players.

“I think that for a female athlete, it’s got to be exciting when you see a player like NiJaree Canady break open like it’s a ground-breaking area now for a young female athlete,” Glasco said.

Glasco expects Canady to make an immediate impact for the Red Raiders, who have not been to the NCAA tournament since 2019. Texas Tech has been to the tournament six times in program history, and never the WCWS.

Glasco also brought pitcher Chloe Riassetto to Lubbock with him, an all-conference junior pitcher from Louisiana who is expected to be the Red Raiders’ No. 2 in the circle. Riassetto pitched marquee wins over Oklahoma, LSU, and Baylor last season for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

“We may add a player or two for depth, but we have 19 kids on the roster right now and I’d love to stop right there. I’ve been super excited for the last two weeks. I’m excited, as a coach, about the team we’ve put together,” Glasco said.

The 2025 softball schedule has not yet been released, but Texas Tech is still taking season ticket deposits on its website .

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