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.
Representation for Canady at The Team has not responded to a request for comment.
According to the source, average AUSL salaries range between $40,000 and $45,000, but bonuses can bring compensation up to $75,000. The league also subsidizes housing, transportation, health insurance, and childcare for players. And while the money only accounts for around two months of play, it is a far cry from the seven figures Canady earned in Lubbock.
AUSL, which is commissioned by former Marlins GM Kim Ng, does not have a traditional players association, and all contracts are handled at the league level rather than through individual teams. All six franchises are owned by Athletes Unlimited.
Players who were drafted to Athletes Unlimited’s pre-AUSL pro softball league, where players switched teams every week, often did not sign after being drafted. However, that was because the league overlapped with the now-defunct Women’s Pro Fastpitch, as players chose between participating in the two leagues.
The second AUSL season kicked off on Tuesday with the Volts playing the Utah Talons in Salt Lake City. It will conclude on either July 26 or 27, when the championship series is set to end.
