Softball ace NiJaree Canady signs $1.2 million deal with Texas Tech

Who says it doesn’t pay to play softball?

Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady is making over $1 million this season. The star pitcher has also signed a deal for next season with the Red Raiders that will pay her $1.2 million.

Canady had begun her career at Stanford before transferring to Texas Tech for the 2025 season. The Red Raiders enticed her with a 7-figure NIL offer. There were questions about whether she would put herself on the free agent market again and see how much she could earn in 2026, but those questions have been put to rest. Canady’s manager told reporters on Friday that she has signed on for a second year with Texas Tech.

A softball player earning $1 million in NIL money may sound excessive, but Canaday has delivered.

The junior pitcher has gone 34-6 with a 0.97 ERA and 317 strikeouts in 239 innings. She also hits and has batted .280 with 6 doubles and 11 home runs.

Canady has pitched Texas Tech not only to their first ever Women’s College World Series, but she took the Red Raiders to the finals. They enter Friday tied 1-1 in their best-of-3 series with Texas, a win away from the national championship.

In her two seasons at Stanford, Canady was brilliant. She went 41-10 with a 0.67 ERA and 555 strikeouts in 365.2 innings. She was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year last year as well.