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Tennessee softball coach Karen Weekly spoke out Friday on the growing concerns around NIL recruiting. The Lady Volunteers recently made the Women's College World Series, advancing to the semifinals before falling to eventual national champion Texas earlier this month. But the offseason tension is already mounting.

"I think we can all agree on [two] things: 1) women making money in sports is awesome and long overdue; 2) contacting players (directly or indirectly) before their season ends and signing them to NIL deals before they enter the portal is wrong," Weekly wrote on social media. "Money isn't the issue -- tampering is!"

While Weekly didn't call out any specific player or program, her post came less than 24 hours after former Tennessee All-American third baseman Taylor Pannell announced her transfer to Texas Tech. The Red Raiders, which finished runner-up in the WCWS, have emerged as a growing NIL force, building around national player of the year NiJaree Canady -- who recently signed her second NIL deal worth more than $1 million -- by stacking talent through aggressive transfer portal recruiting and well-funded support.

No title, but NiJaree Canady brought the crowd, the spotlight and the cash to a sport that's ready to erupt
Erica Ayala
No title, but NiJaree Canady brought the crowd, the spotlight and the cash to a sport that's ready to erupt

Pannell was the top hitter for Tennessee this past season, finishing with a career-best. .398 batting average. The first-team All-SEC selection had 74 hits, 65 RBIs and 16 home runs. Ironically, Pannell committed to Texas Tech the same day she entered the portal.

CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello reported last week that Texas Tech is expected to pay its athletes a combined $55 million through revenue sharing and NIL -- likely making it the highest-paying college athletic program in the country.

Tennessee finished 47-17 this season, marking Karen Weekly's 24th year leading the program. The Lady Vols have reached the WCWS nine times under her guidance -- including runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2013. Weekly previously shared head coaching duties with her husband, Ralph, until his retirement in 2021.