NFL Superstar Patrick Mahomes Assists AUSL in Awarding First Golden Ticket

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) has officially begun handing out Golden Tickets to collegiate players, signifying their selection in the 2026 AUSL College Draft.

The first one went out on Friday night to one of the best two-ways in the game, with the help of an NFL star.

Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady was surprised at Tracy Sellers Field on Friday night after the team run-ruled Iowa State. AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng stepped onto the field to completely catch Canady off guard and directed her and the fans to the video board, which displayed a special message from former Red Raider and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“It’s my pleasure to announce the very first AUSL Golden Ticket of the 2026 Draftee Class to our very own Texas Tech Red Raider, NiJaree Canady. Congratulations, NiJa,” Mahomes said.

The first golden ticket of the season goes to our own, NiJaree Canady!@theAUSLofficial x @adidasDugout pic.twitter.com/8nPiVxyQ67
— Texas Tech Softball (@TexasTechSB) March 28, 2026

Canady has transformed the game of softball and women’s sports as a whole, so it comes as no surprise to many that she was handed a Golden Ticket, let alone being the first player to get one this season.

She’s pushed the sport into an NIL era when she left Stanford as a sophomore for a deal with the Red Raiders that made her college softball’s first million-dollar player. She then went on to take the team to its first-ever Women’s College World Series (WCWS) appearance, landing runners-up in 2025.

Canady’s Career Highlights

USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 3 Finalist (2025)
Big 12 Pitcher of the Year (2025)
USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year (2024)
Honda Sport Award for Softball (2024, 2025)
NFCA National Pitcher of the Year (2024, 2025)
NFCA First Team All-American (2024, 2025)
Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year (2024)
WCWS All-Tournament Team (2023, 2024, 2025)

“As one of the most talented players in the game today, it is fitting that Nijaree is the first recipient of a Golden Ticket this year,” Ng said. “This is also the beginning of what will be a truly special draft class, with many outstanding players across the country. The Golden Ticket represents an important milestone as we recognize players who have been selected in the draft and will have the opportunity to continue their careers at the professional level in the AUSL once their college careers are complete.”

Canady made even more history at the start of this season when she became the first college softball player to have a player-exclusive cleat, “ADIZERO Instinct 2.0 PT Nija” with Adidas.

The Red Raiders currently stand in the No.2 spot in the polls and are expected to reach the WCWS once again, if not grab the program’s first national championship. Canady is rocking a 1.35 ERA currently with 116 strikeouts.

The AUSL confirmed that over the next few weeks, more Golden Tickets will continue to be handed out at programs across the country.

What's a Golden Ticket you ask?

I'll tell you 👩‍🏫

more at https://t.co/33CvgRloM2 pic.twitter.com/g5G8ZGMeVP
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) March 28, 2026

Tennessee’s Karlyn Pickens and Texas’s Reese Atwood made history by becoming the first two collegiate players to sign NIL contracts with the league. All signs are pointing to them receiving

The AUSL College Draft Show will air on Monday, May 4, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.