What Texas Tech vs. Texas Women's College World Series proves about NIL and winning

Before the Texas Longhorns (42-10) battle the Texas Tech Red Raiders (52-6), let us look at how Texas Tech got back to this point after losing to Texas in 2025 and preview the teams which will start the best-of-three series at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

First, it was Oregon who used their money cannon to bring talent to Eugene. Everyone was upset, but now they are over it.

Now it is Texas Tech doing it and people are not alright with it. It is due to the blatant nature of the billionaire funding the school in Cody Campbell. Perhaps because Campbell is not just sticking to one sport. Either way. Texas Tech Softball has been a major benefactor of such dedication and has used this philanthropy to build up a roster which has gotten the Red Raiders to the finals of the College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Texas has been a softball power for many years. Between the Longhorns and the Sooners of Oklahoma, one of the schools, if not both, are expected to be in Oklahoma City every year.
Now comes the upstart Texas Tech with their million dollar player in Mia Williams.
Mia Williams, a 2025 second team All-American and All-SEC selection, decided to leave the confines of Gainesville, FL to move to Lubbock, Texas. Normally not a move to be shocked over, Williams is different.

Williams is the daughter of Florida basketball legend Jason Williams. After leaving Florida, he had a long NBA career before returning to Florida to live in Windermere. This connection led the younger Williams to enroll at Florida and made it even harder when the connection was broken by her transfer. Williams is not just any player either.

After finishing 2025 fifth nationally with 19 home runs, Williams did even better with Texas Tech in 2026 batting .438 with 26 HR and 85RBI. Both the 26 HR and 85 RBI are records for a Texas Tech player. But Williams is not the only player on the Red Raiders squad. Outside 2B, Caitlin Terry also finished the season with a .438 average and Mihyia Davis finished with an average of .435. Better than any player on Texas’ roster. TTU will also bring SP/RP Nijaree Canady to Oklahoma City.

Canady, during the 2026 season, has compiled a record of 28-6 with a 1.38 ERA, and she has struck out 194 batters in 142 innings. In her previous outing before the final series, Canady threw a complete-game shutout of Alabama and gave up just two hits to the Crimson Tide.

With her pitching alongside the offensive power of Williams and Terry, Texas Tech will have a good chance to get revenge on Texas for beating them in the final series in 2025. A victory which gave the Longhorns their first softball championship in school history.

For Texas, the Longhorns will have to hope their pitching, with an ERA of 2.40, can hold down the Red Raiders offense. But they must also hope their lineup can score on a Texas Tech staff who has an ERA of 2.16.

More: Texas Tech vs. Alabama softball box score: Final stats from Women's College World Series semifinal

Texas, who despite having double-digit losses, was still ranked in the top three due to playing in the harder SEC, will be the favorite. But they shouldn’t be. Both teams have short trips north to Oklahoma, so the fans will be split evenly throughout the stadium. On top of this, Texas Tech will have Williams, Terry, Canady and others to lead a team which is No. 6 in team ERA (2.40) and No. 3 in batting with a team average of .378.

The Longhorns' ERA of 2.40 is good but still not as good as Texas Tech, will also come in with a worse batting average at .336. While also trailing the Red Raiders in runs scored with TTU ranking fourth with 9.2 and Texas ranking No. 22 at 6.95 runs a game. As they said in the terrible, but oddly good movie Biker Boys, “It’s all bad, dog.”

Texas may pull off a victory over the next three days. But the likelihood of the Longhorns pulling off an upset looks to be shrinking with every factor. It looks like TTU will get their revenge and their wild spending will be worth it for the school and for Campbell.

More NCAA News

• Saint Mary's vs. UCLA baseball box score: Final stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game 1
• Milwaukee vs. Auburn baseball box score: Final stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game 1
• Arkansas vs. Georgia box score: Final stats from 2026 SEC Baseball Championship
• Bill Belichick, Jordon Hudson at Kentucky Derby leaves everyone saying the same thing
• Demond Williams bombshell could have resulted in Lane Kiffin fired by LSU