Texas Tech Softball Star NiJaree Canady Lands NIL Deal with Venmo

Credit: NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball

Coming off one successful first season with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, NiJaree Canady’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) portfolio is growing.  

Venmo announced in a press release on Tuesday morning that they are launching Big 12-branded debit cards for students, alumni, and fans from participating schools to celebrate their school pride and receive rewards and exclusive access across campus and on game days. 

Three athletes, including Canady, Olivia Miles, and Sam Leavitt, will serve as brand ambassadors throughout the 2025-26 season and they will showcase ways to spend money and earn rewards with the branded Venmo debit cards. 

While promoting Venmo, Canady will receive a portion of her NIL payments into her

Venmo account to showcase the smoothness of spending through the Venmo app. 

"I take pride in helping pave the way for the next generation of female athletes," Canady said in the press release. "This partnership with Venmo will help create real financial empowerment for athletes, and I'm excited to help them break new ground as part of it. I already use Venmo all the time, and now with the Texas Tech Venmo Debit Card, it will be easier than ever to put my NIL earnings to work in ways that matter to me and support Red Raider Nation at the same time."

This Venmo partnership is in addition to Canady’s several other NIL deals, including Texas Tech’s collective, the Matador Club, promoting softball equipment from Easton and Rawlings, and Patrick Mahomes' NIL group through Adidas. She is also an ambassador for the future of the game and will speak at the Empowering Girls For Life conference for the second year in a row in August. 

Canady’s NIL deals have certainly changed the game of softball and have brought loads of attention to Texas Tech. She was the first college softball player to make $1 million and recently signed another seven-figure NIL contract with the Matador Club.