Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported that the ace pitcher had signed a "seven-figure NIL deal" to keep her with the program past the 2025 season. The junior right-hander had transferred to Texas Tech from Stanford ahead of the 2025 season and became the first softball player to secure a NIL deal in excess of $1 million.

Texas Tech star softball pitcher NiJaree Canady will make $1.2 million in a name, image and likeness deal to play for the school in 2026 after leading the team to the Women's College World Series.

Hours before the she leads the Texas Tech softball team into Game 3 of the Women's College World Series championship against Texas, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reports that Canady has signed on to return to the Red Raiders for the 2026 season, citing her manager, Derrick Shelby of Prestige Management Group, as the source of the information.