Texas Tech has been laboring to gain some footing on the women’s side of the department for quite a while. Since the lone national title by the women’s basketball team, it has felt like most success has been fleeting and followed by long droughts of failure. A lot of that has come down to attention and investment. Lubbock is the kind of place where if you win, people will come, but it has not felt like the athletic department and the power brokers with the cash have been really interested in consistently trying to win in any women’s sport.

Softball was carrying some momentum, after narrowly missing the selection, the program was bringing in a number two rated class to help give them a boost. Then disaster, as for any number of reasons known and unknown Craig Snider dipped for Tennessee to take a non-head coaching role.

Texas Tech was a juncture, let another women’s program stumble again out of the path to success or move forward to try and get serious. In comes Gerry Glasco, a hard-working recruiter and proven winner out of Louisianna.

But the question still remains, would the NIL support allow him to thrive?

NiJaree Canady, USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year, was looking for a new home after Stanford. The recruiting battle for the 0.73 superstar pitcher was fierce, with the sports biggest names throwing the house at the former Cardinal. But Texas Tech wins her services, and the alleged price tag is mindblowing. Reportedly, Texas Tech’s Matador Club made a million dollar + offer to win the pitcher over.

That is the kind of total investment Tech has lacking. A department hiring a proven winner quickly, and the money bags shelling out the cash to compete on the trail. Joining a talented class, and 9 additional transfers, Canady is poised to take Tech to the WCWS. And boy, that will be sweet.