The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) opened its 2026 season schedule on Tuesday night, but without its most anticipated rookie. NiJaree Canady, the No. 2 overall draft pick for the Texas Volts, remains sidelined by an ongoing contract standoff with the league.

NiJaree Canady's Record-Setting College Softball Career

Canady wrapped up her decorated collegiate career less than a week ago after leading her team to its second straight Women's College World Series championship series.

Across four seasons split between Stanford and Texas Tech, she recorded 104 wins, 1,127 strikeouts, and an ERA below 1.90, earning USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year honors twice.

She also set a career record with 21 WCWS appearances. Off the field, Canady signed two separate million-dollar NIL deals at Texas Tech, making her the highest-paid player in college softball.

Back in May, Canady signed a marketing NIL deal with the AUSL, but she has yet to agree to a professional playing contract with the Volts. The league handles contracts directly rather than through individual franchises, and it uses a strict, non-negotiable five-tier pay structure for AUSL salaries.

For a player who secured million-dollar NIL deals at Texas Tech, the AUSL salary system likely creates a significant gap.

AUSL Contract Standoff Shifts Texas Volts Roster

Canady's draft team, the Texas Volts, must now lean on softball veterans Rachel Garcia and Alyssa Denham to hold down the circle.

The AUSL schedule opened with a three-game series between the Texas Volts and the Oklahoma City Spark in Oklahoma. ESPN2 carried the broadcast, and fans noticed Canady's absence.

League officials and Canady's representation at The Team remain hopeful an agreement will be reached soon.

"Women athletes have continued to prove that seeking their value is not about self-interest, it's about what you owe the sport and everyone coming after you," Canady's agent, Lindsay Colas, told JWS.

"NiJa loves this game too much to let this moment pass without honoring what it's asking of her. NiJa is grateful for all of it and she looks forward to joining her team and competing as soon as we can finalize the contract."

NCAA softball stole the spotlight this year, as Texas’s Game 2 WCWS Finals win drew 2.5 million viewers on ESPN — a new college softball viewership record.

The title-clinching game peaked at 3 million. The all-Texas rematch subsequently outpaced last year’s Game 3 (2.4 million) and 2007’s 2.3 million high-mark.

Texas’s Game 1 win over Texas Tech drew 1.9 million to rank third all-time for Finals openers. However, the two-game span averaged 2.2 million, tying 2025’s figures for the second-most watched Championship Series in history.

Despite falling to the back-to-back champion Longhorns, the Red Raiders drove tournament engagement. Texas Tech headlined three of the top five most-watched non-Finals matches.

The Longhorns have done it again, as Texas took down Texas Tech 4-1 on Thursday to sweep the Women’s College World Series Finals and earn a second straight title.

Junior pitching Teagan Kavan extended a flawless postseason run, winning her second WCWS Most Outstanding Player award after throwing Wednesday’s complete game victory before closing out Game 2 in relief.

“Today when she came in and she smelled the win, she would not give that up,” coach Mike White said of his ace. “She shut the door so hard.”

Despite early-tournament losses and elimination scares, the “Heart Attack Horns” are making a strong case for NCAA softball’s newest dynasty.

“Winning last year took this program to the next level,” said senior Ashton Maloney. “You’re going to see a lot of national championships from the University of Texas in the coming years.”

The series also capped Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady’s decorated college career, after taking the Red Raiders to back-to-back WCWS Finals as the program’s star $1 million transfer.

Canady and several of her peers will quickly turn pro, as the expanded Athletes Unlimited Softball League kicks off its 2026 season on Tuesday.

Texas Tech softball coach Gerry Glasco made a surprising WCWS pitching decision in Game 1, benching aces NiJaree Canady and Kaitlyn Terry early in Wednesday's 7-3 loss at Devon Park.

The pre-game softball roster listed Canady as the Game 1 starter, but Terry took the circle instead. Glasco used the same tactic to win Game 3 against Florida in the NCAA super regionals, and in Texas Tech's semifinal win over No. 1 Alabama.

"I'm really comfortable putting NiJa in a game — I'm not comfortable taking her out of a game," Glasco said.

"So I tend to wait — I usually wait too long with NiJa, and I feel like it's an easier choice for me to go [with Terry]."

Texas Tech later turned to sophomore Samantha Lincoln to eat innings. She allowed two runs on four hits in 3.1 innings after pitching just 17% of the team's games this season, while the Red Raiders offense failed to back up her efforts.

"If we didn't get anything, I didn't feel like I could leave NiJa out there and let them look at her," Glasco explained. "I want the matchup tomorrow."

Glasco Wants Canady, Terry Fresh for WCWS Game 2

2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year NiJaree Canady enters Thursday's Game 2 with a record 19 WCWS appearances and a chance to extend Texas Tech's best-of-three series chances.

However, Texas could counter with senior Citlaly Gutierrez, who carries a 2.27 ERA, instead of ace Teagan Kavan, who threw a complete-game victory to win the series opener.

Game 2 of the 2026 WCWS kicks off tonight at 8 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Round one goes to Texas, as the Longhorns defeated Texas Tech 7-3 to take Game 1 of the WCWS Finals — putting the 2025 champion one win away from a repeat.

Texas ace Teagan Kavan pitched a complete game, overcoming Red Raider Mihyia Davis’s first-inning bomb to allow three runs on just three hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

Katie Stewart ignited the Longhorns’ offense, blasting her fourth home run in as many games to launch a five-run first inning.

“The game started with a bang, literally,” Texas coach Mike White said. “Then, of course, Teagan Kavan worked her tail off for us.”

Red Raiders coach Gerry Glasco limited star pitchers NiJaree Canady and Kaitlyn Terry to four outs each, opting to save their arms for the rest of the best-of-three series. 

Glasco is looking to avoid last season’s dynamic, when Tech rebounded from an opening loss to force Game 3 before Texas ultimately claimed the title.

“If we can survive tomorrow night’s game, you’ve got momentum going into Game 3,” he said. “We've not lost two games in a row the whole year, so we've got to hang our hat on that.”

Where to Watch Texas vs Texas Tech 2026 WCWS Finals Game 2

Game 2 of the WCWS Finals kicks off tonight at 8 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Texas and Texas Tech stormed back, as the instate rivals swept Monday's WCWS doubleheaders to set up a 2025 Championship Series rematch ahead of this week's 2026 Finals.

The defending champion Longhorns silenced Tennessee in the first winner-takes-all matchup, reaching their third straight College World Series Finals behind slugger Katie Stewart’s 29th and 30th homers of the year.

“She’s strong as an ox,” coach Mike White said of Stewart. “She’s just grown as a leader and a hitter — she’s really taking it onto herself to shoulder the load.”

Texas Tech then took down Alabama 5-4 to win Game 1 behind Mia Williams’s first career walk-off home run. Afterwards, the Red Raiders closed out the series on a 2-0 shutout.

Ace NiJaree Canady held the Crimson Tide to just two hits in Game 2. She subsequently notched six strikeouts to become the fourth pitcher on record shutouts in four different WCWS tournaments.

“I don’t have any doubt that was her best performance of the year,” said coach Gerry Glasco. “That’s a great confidence builder for our team and NiJa to go into the finals with that effort.”

Where to Watch the Texas vs Texas Tech WCWS Final

The WCWS Finals kick off on Wednesday at 8 PM ET, live on ESPN.

The 2026 WCWS took the weekend by storm, as NCAA softball titans shook up the college bracket to this week’s Women’s College World Series Finals.

Alabama softball and Tennessee rolled through the competition, taking both weekend matchups to enter today’s semifinals with the winners’ advantage.

Defending champion Texas and 2025 runner-up Texas Tech managed to stave off elimination, as the Longhorns broke up a Nebraska no-hitter and the Red Raiders survived UCLA in extra innings.

College World Series Sets Semifinals Bracket

Today’s semifinals pit winners Alabama and Tennessee against losers Texas Tech and Texas, with the winning sides needing just one victory to advance while the underdogs need two.

Should the Longhorns beat the Lady Vols or the Red Raiders defeat the Crimson Tide, a second winner-take-all game immediately follows as a doubleheader.

“We’re chasing excellence, and we’re chasing a never-ending pursuit of greatness, and I [have] just been excited to be a part of that,” said Alabama slugger Alexis Pupillo.

Where to Watch Today's 2026 WCWS Semifinals

The WCWS semifinals kick off today at 12 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Texas Tech softball punched its ticket to the 2026 Women's College World Series after defeating Florida softball 16-7 in Sunday's fiery NCAA softball super regional finale.

And the three-game series in Gainesville delivered the drama — both on and off the field — as Texas Tech star Mia Williams sat at the center of the controversy.

The standout infielder previously played for Florida before transferring to the Red Raiders. During the weekend series, Williams took her base in five different hit-by-pitches. Williams responded with her bat, smashing a game-winning, two-run home run in Game 1 and launching another critical two-run play in Game 3.

Mia Williams's Father Jason Fuels Texas Tech vs Florida Tension

Williams's father, retired NBA star Jason Williams, contributed to the on-field tension.

Security briefly escorted the former Florida guard from Game 1 after a confrontation with a fan. During Game 3, he later celebrated his daughter's success by performing a mocking "Gator Chomp" while standing next to Florida's dugout.

Williams subsequently made a point to call out Florida head coach Tim Walton. However, the bad blood extended to the players on the diamond.

Following Sunday's loss, Florida players reportedly skipped the traditional postgame handshake. Walton — who was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing calls with the officials — stood by his team's decision not to engage with Texas Tech following the clash.

"Maybe that was for the better with the anxiety of the series," Walton told press. "On TV, they were saying there might be a bench-clearing brawl. Never seen that in softball in my life."

With the win, Texas Tech and Mia Williams advance to the 2026 Women’s College World Series, while Florida will look to regroup before embarking on another NCAA softball campaign next season.

The NCAA softball super regionals brought the heat, as major turnarounds and big-name upsets set the field for this week’s 2026 Women’s College World Series.

Mississippi State ousted eight-time NCAA champion Oklahoma with a 2-1 series win, earning a program-first trip to the WCWS while snapping the Sooners’ nine-season appearance streak.

“I’m just so proud of this group,” said Bulldogs head coach Samantha Ricketts. “The fight and the grit that they’ve shown, and just how they’ve worked so hard for this moment.”

Mississippi State joins reigning champions Texas, 2025 runner-up Texas Tech, and Tennessee in Bracket 1, while UCLA, Arkansas, Alabama, and Nebraska headline Bracket 2.

The Bruins became the first DI team to hit 200 home runs in one season after sweeping UCF, as slugger Megan Grant continues her hunt for the NCAA’s single-season homer title.

Texas Tech softball also saw fireworks in its win over Florida, as former Gator Mia Williams was hit-by-pitch five times over the course of the three-game series.

Where to Watch NCAA Softball at the 2026 WCWS

The 2026 WCWS kicks off Thursday at 12 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Texas Tech softball defeated Florida 10-8 in Game 1 of the NCAA softball super regionals on Friday, moving one win away from the 2026 Women's College World Series.

The Red Raiders manage to eke out the result despite giving up four home runs and allowing the Gators to erase a 7-1 deficit.

Texas Tech trailed 1-0 in the fourth inning, before three straight doubles put the 2025 WCWS runners-up on top 3-1. Lauren Allred then crushed a three-run shot in the fifth inning, igniting a Red Raiders surge with Quiroga tacking on a solo homer.

Florida, however, answered back. Four fifth- and sixth-inning bombs brought home seven runners, as the Gators pulled level at 8-8 heading into the seventh. That's when Mia Williams sealed the deal with a go-ahead two-run homer after Laci Quiroga drew a leadoff walk, securing the 10-8 final result.

Aces NiJaree Canady and Kaitlyn Terry split pitching duties for the Raiders, allowing five earned runs off nine total hits.

Raiders Ace NiJaree Canady Signs Softball NIL Deal with AUSL

NiJaree Canady also made headlines off the field, signing an NIL partnership with Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) that includes an equity share in the expanding pro league.

Canady joins Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens and Texas catcher Reese Atwood in signing NIL deals with AUSL, with the players expected to contribute to the league's social media content and brand campaigns.

The senior went 21-4 last season with a 1.30 ERA and 194 strikeouts, leading Texas Tech softball to the 2025 national championship game. Canady was selected No. 2 overall by the Texas Volts in the 2026 AUSL Draft, with plans to join the professional outfit once the WCWS concludes in June.

How to Watch Texas Tech vs Florida NCAA Super Regionals Game 2

Texas Tech now needs just one more win in the best-of-three super regionals series to reach Oklahoma City. The Red Raiders and Gators kick off Game 2 tomorrow at 12:30 PM ET, live on ESPN.