The Athletes Unlimited Softball League is set to delight outstanding collegiate softball players with “golden tickets” in the weeks ahead, prior to the draft. These coveted passes will notify the athletes that they have secured a spot on one of the six AUSL squads this season.
During the AUSL Draft Broadcast on May 4 (ESPN2; 7 p.m. ET), recruits will discover which team chose them, as well as the complete pick sequence.
On Friday, pitcher NiJaree Canady was awarded the inaugural “golden ticket” by Commissioner Kim Ng and Patrick Mahomes.
FIRST GOLDEN TICKET OF 2026 📷📷
NiJaree Canady receives the first golden ticket of 2026 to be drafted into the AUSL!pic.twitter.com/2mB7bWIfgj
— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial)March 28, 2026
The 2025 Big 12’s top hurler, this Texas Tech upperclassman has inked two multi-million dollar Name, Image, and Likeness agreements. She previously guided Stanford to two consecutive World Series appearances before her transfer. The preceding year, Texas Tech reached the national championship series, ultimately losing in Game 3.