Former Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady has not signed a contract with the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, even though her team played its first match of the season on Tuesday.
Canady, who made more than $1 million in NIL money annually with Texas Tech, was drafted No. 2 overall by the Texas Volts in May’s AUSL draft. She also has an NIL deal with AUSL, which allowed her to promote the MLB-invested league on social media during her time in college.
“While Nija has not yet signed, we are hopeful she will officially join the league in the near future,” an AUSL spokesperson told Front Office Sports. The Volts next play on Thursday.
A source familiar with the matter told FOS that Canady and AUSL are talking on a daily basis, and are hopeful they will be able to sort out her contract soon. Per the source, Canady could not start negotiations with the league until her college career ended on June 4 when Texas Tech lost to Texas in the Women’s College World Series finals.
Notably, Texas’s two AUSL draftees this year— Reese Atwood and Leigann Goode—T both signed with their respective teams by June 7. No other Texas Tech players were drafted besides Canady, though every other player drafted has signed. In 2025, all AUSL draftees signed with the league.
