NiJaree Canady Becomes First Collegiate Softball Player to Land Signature Cleat With Adidas
NiJaree Canady Makes History
Women athletes have been making their mark across sports for a long time. Over the last several years, we have seen the popularity in sports such as women’s basketball and softball rise to new heights, and there is much more room for growth.
Professional athletes, and more so basketball than anything, have signed shoe deals with brands such as Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, etc., but now the first collegiate softball player has revealed her first pair of cleats.
NiJaree Canady, the most popular pitcher in the game, debuted the new ADIZERO Instinct 2.0 PT NiJa earlier this week, and the cleats will be available for purchase later this year.
This is another monumental breakthrough for softball players. The sport has skyrocketed in popularity over the last several years, and this is something that has only been dreamed of. With NIL the new normal in college athletics, I would not be surprised if this became more of a thing for well marketed and popular collegiate athletes who take their game to the next level.
Canady is a part of Team Mahomes, an Adidas NIL group backed by Texas Tech alum and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. She was also part of the first group that launched in the summer of 2024.
As for Canady and the Texas Tech Red Raiders, they are must see TV, and that was proven again last week during the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational. ESPN PR released the viewership numbers and games involving Texas Tech reported the top two spots, with 383,000 tuning in for the Red Raiders and Nebraska Cornhuskers, and 241,000 for their game with the Florida State Seminoles.
It should come as no surprise given that last year’s WCWS Final Game Three between Texas Tech and Texas averaged 2.4 million viewers, making it the most watched Women’s College World Series game in history. The Red Raiders do not just bring talent, they bring an audience.
In seven appearances and four starts this season, Canady is 4-1 with 28 strikeouts to six walks recorded in 26.2 innings, a 1.58 ERA, and a .172 opponent batting average. She has also chipped in a home run and six RBI in the batter’s box as well. Canady and the Red Raiders are in Cathedral City, Calif., for the Mary Nutter Classic this weekend. You can catch the event on FloCollege (FloSports $).
