Stanford Loses NiJaree Canady to Texas Tech

Jason Burke | Aug 2, 2024

Stanford's NiJaree Canady (24) celebrates a strike out during a softball game between the Oklahoma Sooners and Stanford in the Women's College World Series at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in in Oklahoma City, Monday, June, 5, 2023. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

Last season Stanford softball pitcher NiJaree Canady was the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, as well as a NFCA First Team All-American, and was just plain dominant. Canady finished with a 0.73 ERA over 230 2/3 innings pitched, going 23-7 with a .147 batting average against, and collecting 337 strikeouts. In her first season, she went 13-3 with a 0.59 ERA and 118 strikeouts.

With the landscape in college athletics the way that it is these days, it wasn't much of a surprise that she entered the transfer portal back in June. Last week, Canady committed to Texas Tech.

Marisa Ingemi of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote an excellent piece on what this move could mean for the future of Stanford athletics, given that Lifetime Cardinal tried to retain Canady, but their offer of $350,000 came up well short of Tech's $1,050,024. Previously, the largest NIL deal given to a softball player had been $175,000, per the Athletic.

Last year Stanford softball went 50-17, but ultimately lost to Texas in the College World Series, finishing in third place overall. Tech went 29-21. We'll get a good gauge of just how important Canady is to both programs next season.

Texas Tech was also in the news over at the Athletic over the weekend, when Los Angeles Angels third-round pick Ryan Prager decided to stay in college, where he will receive an NIL deal "well north of $500,000."

Back on ACC Media Day, Stanford head coach Troy Taylor said that being in the ACC will be good for recruiting. "The opportunity to come out and play...on this coast, I think is going to help us in recruiting."

While it may be of help with football recruiting, we'll have to wait and see if there is an impact on baseball and softball.