We conclude our year-end look at the Top 10 Softball Stories of 2024…

Below are the other stories comprising this list:

• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #10 – The Alliance to Hold All National Championships In Indy (Dec. 23, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #9 – The State of the Pro Game (Dec. 24, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #8 – The Power of GoFundMe in Softball (Dec. 25, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #7 – The Passing of 2016-17 Gatorade National Player of the Year Taylor Dockins (Dec. 26, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #6 – Oklahoma’s Launch of Love’s Field Raises the Bar For Softball Stadium (Dec. 27, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #5 – Duke Softball Makes The WCWS… In Only Its 7th Year of Play (Dec. 28, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #4 – Jordyn Bahl Redshirts After Season-Ending Injury (Dec. 29, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #3 – The “Killer B’s” – The Bolts & Bombers – Dominate Club Summer Ball (Dec. 30, 2024)
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #2 – Oklahoma Sooners Make It Four NCAA D1 Championships in a Row (Dec. 31, 2024
• Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #1 – Wed, Jan. 1, 2025

Also, on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025–Line Drive Softball will list all the Top 10 stories and then on Saturday, Jan. 4th we’ll will run the “Other Stories Considered” List.

For each topic (story), an article that we ran earlier this year on Line Drive Softball, on D1 Softball with Justin McLeod, the Associate Editor, or another source like the NCAA, is included and printed with each day’s article.

So how were the Top 10 picked?

We looked at what were considered the most memorable and important stories of the year as they impacted the sport. In researching the Top 10, we talked to those at at all levels of softball, including college and travel ball coaches, other media members and YOU—the fastpitch community.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball

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#1… Nijah Canady’s NIL Deal Raises the Bar in Women’s Sports (Jan. 1, 2025)

NiJaree (“Nija”) Canady has emerged halfway through her college career as not only the “nation’s best” college softball player, but she has also changed the women’s sports world with her record-breaking NIL deal in 2024 that was offered by Texas Tech,

Her NIL deal worth over $1 million per year will open doors for female athletes in big ways down the road and provide more opps in not just softball but in all sports girl athletes compete in.

After a huge sophomore season for Stanford in 2024, where she had a stingy 0.73 ERA with 337 strikeouts in 230.2 innings, Canady was named the USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year; this, after being honored as the National Freshman of the Year in 2023.

All glory to God💗 https://t.co/wiWSCvXEap

— NiJaree Canady (@CanadyNijaree) May 29, 2024

In two years of collegiate play, Canady’s stats included a record of 41-10 with a 0.66 ERA and an amazing 555 strikeouts versus 65 walks.

A transcendent player, former softball great Danielle Lawrie was quoted in an On3 article expressing her opinion that Canady is one of the best pitchers in the history of softball.

“I mean, in my honest opinion, she’s probably one of the top five best pitchers that I’ve ever seen in person, and I’ve played the game a long time,” Lawrie, now an ESPN analyst and former two-time USA Softball Player of the Year, told On3 in June 2024.

“I can’t say that I’ve seen kind of that type of power. And just the spin, it’s funny, right? Because you think about those types of pictures, like Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman, right?”

“I put NiJaree up as one of those power pitchers like Monica, but her spin on her ball at that velocity is so rare.”

A great year with the Stanford Cardinal meant that Canady’s value skyrocked and not just on the field: with the new world order thanks to the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities, the talented athlete had the opportunity to make some dollars off the field.

At the Top Gun Invitational last June, I wrote at the time that:

“The big buzz on Saturday among college coaches was that Stanford star pitcher Nija Canady was entering the Transfer Portal.

The news was confirmed by several sources as the day went on… including this report by WIBW out of Topeka, Kansas.

As noted in our reposted articles below, Canady did enter the Transfer Portal and within weeks it was announced that she was going to transfer to Texas Tech, not previously considered a blueblood at the Div. I level, going 29-21 overall in 2024 but a disappointing 8-16 in the Big 12 Conference.

A Texas Tech collective, however, put together a stunning NIL offer that topped $1 million and raised the bar in women’s sports showing that athletes on that side could make great NIL money.

Here are a couple of online reports that show the importance of the transaction:

@kaylertater

The game has changed. Nijaree Canady inks a 7-figure deal with Texas Tech🤯 #ncaasoftball #wcws #texastech #nil

♬ original sound - kstate

The New York Times published an excellent article on July 29, 2024 titled The unprecedented million-dollar recruitment of the nation’s best softball player which covered in great detail how the transfer and NIL package came together.

This is an NIL deal that will provide the outstanding pitcher over $1 million for the next two years of her career and, with the hiring of new head coach Gerry Glasco, who had previously compiled a 300-88 record (.773 winning percentage) for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, a lot of excitement for the Red Raiders program.

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Nija’s High School Career

Canady’s was an impressive and accomplished athlete well before she made it to the collegiate level.

Twice a Kansas Softball Gatorade Player of the Year, she was a tremendous athlete all-around when I covered her throughout her high school and club careers.

One year, I ranked the Class of 2022 grad as the No. 2 infielder in the class because she was so good with her glove as well as her arm. She was rated overall in that class’s Top 20 several times.

As I covered future greats like Jayda Coleman, Amanda Lorenz, Kenzie Hansen and others who would go on to college greatness, it was clear that NiJaree would be something special.

Five years ago, in 2019, she ended the Summer on a high note in the circle as she had big wins over teams like Firecrackers-Brashear and Sorcerer Old Skool to lead her Louisville Slugger to a Top 13 finish at PGF under the coaching of Jim Huecker.

Canady led the Sluggers with 14 home runs that summer including two monster homers against a strong Mustangs-TJ in the semi-finals of Fireworks Power Pool TV bracket where she also got the win in the circle and also hit another home run propelling her team to a win over Texas Glory.

NiJaree competed for the Topeka High (Kan.0 Lady Trojans and led her school to a pair of state championships after making the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.

As early as her freshman year in high school, Canady was clearly a special talent as she batted .436 as a frosh with a 0.37 ERA in the circle—the lowest in the state that year. She also had 139 strikeouts in 82 innings.

But Canaday wasn’t just a softball star: she was 1^st Team All-State in basketball and helped lead her team to a 2^nd place finish in the State Tournament. The multi-sport athlete was also nominated as a Gatorade Player of the Year in hoops for Topeka (Kan.) High after averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds.

And in track, in the 8^th grade yet, Nija broke her high school shot put record by 10 feet with a personal record of 42 feet, 7 inches.

Add a 4.4 GPA and community service which included volunteering at homeless shelters and nursing homes and you can see why she was so heralded at such a young age.

Coach Huecker was dead on back in Canady’s playing days for the Sluggers when he predicted the future of the pitching great.

“Nija is a special young lady who only comes along every once in a great while,” he told me back in 2020.

“She has the ability on the field to control the game in the circle and is as feared as any hitter in the game,” he added.

“Nija has been playing 18U PGF softball since she was a 7th grader,” Huecker continued, “and she is the most multi-talented, mature and battle tested player in the sophomore class. ‘Ni’ is the Jayda Coleman of the 2022 group.”

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball

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Looking Back Over 2024: The Changing Landscape of College Softball with Texas Tech’s Historic Offer to NiJaree Canady (Dec. 15, 2024)

Originally published Dec. 15, 2024, on Line Drive Softball

As we get ready to launch our Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year Series a week from Monday (Dec. 23, 2024), we continue to look back over some of the major news that impacted our sport.

In the last week of July of 2024, huge news came out that NiJaree Canady—selected as the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year—was transferring from Stanford to Texas Tech because of an unprecedented $1 million NIL deal.

Canady, a 6-foot-tall pitching powerhouse from Topeka, Kansas, had just weeks before made spots headlines for leading Stanford to the Women’s College World Series semifinals.

*** Click HERE to read about Nijaree’s work at Empowering Girls for Life in August, 2024

Her decision to transfer to Texas Tech represents a significant milestone in college sports, highlighting a shift toward greater equity between softball and the traditionally more lucrative college sports such as baseball, football, and basketball.

Here’s more on the story behind the story as Line Drive compiled it last summer (July 2024)…

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The Groundbreaking NIL Offer

The dinner party included John and Tracy Sellers, influential figures within the Texas Tech community, and Marc McDougal from the Matador Club, a Texas Tech-affiliated name, image, and likeness (NIL) collective.

Their aim was simple yet unprecedented: to offer Canady a $1 million NIL deal, a sum previously unheard of in the world of collegiate softball.

The Matador Club’s offer to Canady was not just about signing a player—it was about leveling the playing field between softball and the traditionally more lucrative college sports such as baseball, football, and basketball.

With $1,050,024 on the table — a symbolic nod to Canady’s jersey number 24 and a $50,000 stipend for living expenses — the deal shattered previous records for NIL agreements in women’s softball.

“It’s absolutely unprecedented for an annual compensation for a D-1 softball player,” said Blake Lawrence, CEO of Opendorse, a company that facilitates and manages NIL deals.

“Canady might be getting paid more than every single softball player in her conference combined.” (1)

A Paradigm Shift in Collegiate Sports

For years, college softball has lagged behind its male counterparts in terms of financial support and media attention, but Texas Tech’s ambitious move signals a shift towards greater equity.

This bold move by Texas Tech shows young athletes that excellence in softball can command attention and resources comparable to those in other major sports.

The disparity in earnings and support between men’s and women’s sports has long been a point of contention. The emergence of NIL deals has started to bridge that gap, offering women athletes opportunities that were previously unavailable.

With high-profile deals like Canady’s, the visibility and credibility of college softball are receiving a much-needed boost, encouraging younger athletes to pursue their passion with renewed vigor and optimism.

NiJaree Canady: An Inspiration to Future Generations

NiJaree Canady’s journey from a high school standout to the top collegiate player is a story of talent, perseverance, and strategic career choices.

As a two-time Kansas Softball Gatorade Player of the Year, Canady was already on the radar of college scouts nationwide. Her stellar performances at Stanford — leading the nation with a 0.73 ERA and amassing 337 strikeouts in the 2024 season — solidified her status as a game-changer.

Canady’s decision to embrace the opportunities presented by the transfer portal and NIL deals positions her as a role model for aspiring softball players.

Her move to Texas Tech is not just about financial gain; it’s about empowering young athletes, especially girls in the 10U to 18U age groups, to dream big and pursue their athletic aspirations with the knowledge that excellence will be rewarded.

“Younger players now have a tangible example of what is possible if you work hard and excel at your sport,” says Jessica Mendoza, an ESPN broadcaster and former Stanford outfielder.

“Canady’s decision underscores the message that the sky is the limit in softball, just as it is in football or basketball.” (1)

A New Frontier for Softball

The implications of Canady’s $1 million NIL deal extend beyond the field, marking a new frontier for softball and women’s sports.

It signifies a cultural shift, recognizing the value and potential of women’s sports in a market that has historically undervalued them. This deal also places pressure on other institutions to reevaluate their investment in women’s athletics, ensuring that talent and dedication are equally rewarded across all sports

As college athletics continue to evolve, the importance of strategic NIL agreements cannot be overstated. They provide a framework for compensating athletes while simultaneously enhancing the profile and competitiveness of collegiate programs.

For Texas Tech, Canady’s signing is a landmark achievement, potentially transforming the university into a powerhouse in women’s softball and setting a precedent for future transactions.

The Broader Impact on College Sports

While Canady’s decision to join Texas Tech has immediate implications for the softball program, it also raises questions about the future of college sports as a whole.

As NIL deals become more common, the traditional balance of power in collegiate athletics is shifting.

Schools with robust financial backing and innovative strategies are poised to attract top talent across all sports, creating a more dynamic and competitive landscape.

For athletes like Canady, these changes offer unprecedented opportunities but also come with new responsibilities and challenges. Balancing the demands of high-profile sports with academic and personal commitments will require careful management and support systems.

However, the benefits — both personal and professional — are immense, providing athletes with the resources to pursue their dreams and prepare for life beyond college sports.

Conclusion: A New Era for College Softball

As NiJaree Canady puts on her Texas Tech uniform, she symbolizes more than just a talented addition to the team; she represents a new era for college softball.

Her journey highlights the evolving landscape of college sports, where talent, hard work, and strategic decisions can open doors previously thought closed. For the next generation of athletes, Canady’s story serves as both an inspiration and a roadmap, encouraging them to dream big and strive for excellence.

In the world of collegiate sports, where change is often slow and incremental, Texas Tech’s historic offer to Canady is a bold statement.

It reaffirms the university’s commitment to leveling the playing field and investing in women’s sports, setting the stage for a future where every athlete, regardless of gender, can achieve their fullest potential.

— Shannon Eads for Line Drive Softball

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NiJaree Canady Transferring to Texas Tech

Originally published July 24, 2024, on D1Softball

Reigning National Player of the Year NiJaree Canady is transferring to Texas Tech.

Canady announced her commitment to the Red Raiders via social media earlier today.

These past two years have been amazing and I thank @StanfordSball for the ride of a lifetime. Excited for what’s ahead! @TexasTechSB pic.twitter.com/C017QT51Gp

— NiJaree Canady (@CanadyNijaree) July 24, 2024

Canady was named the USA Softball National Player of the Year as well as D1Softball National Pitcher of the Year following the 2024 season. For the second consecutive season, she piloted Stanford to the semifinals of the Women’s College World Series.

During her two years at Stanford, Canady posted a 0.67 career ERA, with 41 wins, a .143 opponent’s batting average, and 555 strikeouts in 365.2 innings of work.

As a sophomore in 2024, she posted a 0.73 ERA with a 24-7 overall record and 337 strikeouts in 230.2 innings of work. An occasional batter, Canady also hit her first two career home runs in 2024 and notched three RBIs.

In addition to her national awards in 2024, Canady also was named a First Team All-American in 2024 and was the national Freshman of the Year in 2023.

— Justin McLeod/D1Softball