Texas Tech?!?!
That was the collective reaction Wednesday when NiJaree Canady, the best pitcher in college softball, announced her commitment to the Red Raiders .
Canady to OU would’ve made sense. Dominance attracts dominance. But the longer Canady remained uncommitted, the Sooners’ chances of landing her dimmed.
Florida was a speculative destination, but according to ESPN , Canady didn’t even pay the Gators a visit. She reportedly took trips to blue bloods Alabama and Tennessee, and another to Kansas in what would’ve been a homecoming for the Topeka native.
Ultimately, Canady told ESPN , her choice came down to Texas Tech or a return to Stanford. No offense to the fine folks of Lubbock, but Canady has to be among the few to ever make the decision she did.
It couldn’t have been the scenery that swayed her. Or the academics. Or the program prestige.
It was a seven-figure NIL deal.
A deal that will pay her $1.05 million, according to The Athletic . It’s thought to be the largest-ever name, image and likeness deal for a softball player … by a lot.
It’s a win for Canady, a win for Texas Tech and a win for women’s sports.
The Red Raiders, which have never made the Women’s College World Series, are now softball-relevant for the first time. Texas Tech boosters John and Tracy Sellers are banking, quite literally, on Canady becoming softball’s version of Caitlin Clark — a comparison that many have already made.
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Canady led Stanford to back-to-back Women’s College World Series appearances in her freshman and sophomore seasons at Stanford. She was named 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
The right-handed flame thrower has a 0.67 ERA and 555 strikeouts in 365.2 career innings.
Had Canady committed to OU, it would’ve seemed unfair. Like Alice Walton winning the lottery. Same goes for Florida, although the Sooners have won six national championships since the Gators won their last.
But Texas Tech???
What a stunner. And what a wild turn for Big 12 softball. The conference just lost the Sooners and Longhorns, but it just added Canady. Oklahoma State is the top dog in the conference, but Texas Tech has joined the party.
If you told me Canady was Big 12 bound, my first guess would’ve been OSU. She visited Stillwater as a high school recruit . My second guess would’ve been Kansas, a non-factor in softball like Texas Tech, but Kansas is home for Canady.
Texas Tech didn’t even field a softball program from 1986 to 1995. The Red Raiders brought softball back when the Big 12 formed in 1996.
The Red Raiders have qualified for the NCAA Tournament six times (1999, 2001, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2019), but never have they made the WCWS.
Former Texas Tech coach Craig Snider resigned in June after going 13-29 in the Big 12 in his two seasons in Lubbock.
Texas Tech hired Gerry Glasco, who led Louisiana to five Sun Belt championships in seven seasons. Glasco’s arrival has obviously reinvigorated a sleepy program.
Canady is good enough to take the Red Raiders where they’ve never been.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Texas Tech?!?!: How NiJaree Canady's commitment to Red Raiders shocked softball world
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