Texas Tech's $1 million NIL deal leads to historic championship season
The Texas Tech Red Raiders have completed an incredible turnaround for the softball program, resulting in the program's first Big 12 regular season title and first Big 12 tournament championship.
The turnaround was capped off when Texas Tech knocked off Arizona 4-0 on Saturday in the conference tournament championship game.
Although it was a total team effort, it was star pitcher NiJaree Canady who received the most praise following the championship win. Canady surrendered just two hits and struck out eight batters in a shutout.
Following the win, social media was buzzing about the impact that Canady had on what is now the greatest single season for the Red Raiders in program history.
Ahead of this season, Texas Tech reportedly made NiJaree Canady the first softball pitcher to be paid $1 million through NIL.
ā The Sporting News (@sportingnews) May 10, 2025
It was money well spent š @CanadyNijaree
- Big 12 Pitcher of the Year
- Big 12 Championship
- Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Player
- Unanimousā¦ pic.twitter.com/hoSdoOk0ri
This offseason, Texas Tech landed college softballās POTY NiJaree Canady with a $1M+ NIL deal.
ā Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 10, 2025
Canady just led the Red Raiders to their first Big 12 regular season and tournament titles in program history.
She pitched in every gameāand didnāt allow a run the entire tournament. pic.twitter.com/bHnHOh9sqp
This girl's gonna need a bigger trophy case š³
ā Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) May 10, 2025
Nijaree Canady has been named the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship Most Outstanding Player.#Big12SB | @Phillips66Gas pic.twitter.com/fUPBT6hL67
16.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 R, 4 hits and 26 Kās
ā Texas Tech Softball (@TexasTechSB) May 11, 2025
š pic.twitter.com/VN1rLgbSYI
Big 12 Tournament Champions! š pic.twitter.com/b1v01qAg6Y
ā Texas Tech Softball (@TexasTechSB) May 10, 2025
The Red Raiders are now gearing up for the NCAA softball tournament. The selection show is slated to take place on Sunday and all matchups will be unveiled for the 64-team bracket.
Here's how to watch:
- Date: Sunday, May 11
- Time: 7 pm ET
- Channel: ESPN2
- Enjoy more Texas Tech coverage on Texas Tech On SI -
More Texas Tech News
CBS Sports picks one Big 12 team to make 2025 College Football Playoff
Texas Tech listed among six CFB programs expected to have $40 million roster in 2025
Updated Big 12 Recruiting Rankings: Colorado struggles, Kansas leads the pack
Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. In January of 2025, he took over as Publisher for Maryland On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.