athletes Unlimited Softball ⁢League Launches With MLB,‍ ESPN Support

‌ Updated June 08, 2025
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Professional softball is ⁢making a ​significant push into the expanding women’s sports market with ​the launch of​ the Athletes ⁤Unlimited‌ Softball ⁣league (AUSL). The league’s inaugural season began Saturday.

“There’s a lot of energy — a lot of ⁤passion,” said AUSL ⁣Commissioner Kim ng, a former college softball player and MLB ​executive. “I think this is ‌a long time coming for the‌ softball community.”

The‌ AUSL⁣ is entering the scene with a partnership with Major League Baseball, which has‍ taken an equity stake ⁤in the ​league, and ESPN, which will broadcast 40 games this summer.⁤ Recent data showing ⁢strong viewership for ‌the Women’s College World Series ‌has boosted confidence in the league’s sustainability.

“Softball is an absolute juggernaut on the TV⁤ front,” said Athletes unlimited CEO and co-founder Jon Patricof. “There is ⁤a huge fan base⁣ out there and a lot of them still ⁣aren’t ⁢aware that there’s pro softball that they can watch and tune⁤ into. With the help of ESPN, with ‍the ⁢help of MLB, we’re confident that when they find out about it, they’re going to love it.”

AUSL advisor Natasha ⁣Watley⁣ compared the league’s launch ⁤to winning ⁣a gold medal with‌ Team USA ⁤in 2004. She plans‍ to⁣ bring her daughter ​to the opening games.

“What’s going to be neat ​is years ​down the road,” Watley said. “I’m hoping that ⁣she can look back and say,’I was there for opening weekend,and I was‌ 3 years old,and now look at ⁤it.'”

The Athletes Unlimited pro Softball ‍Championship was created in 2020, and later added AUX, a‌ two-week softball season. This year, the⁢ group⁣ is launching ⁢AUSL, a women’s softball ‍league ⁣that⁣ will initially‍ feature four 15-player teams: the ‌Bandits, Blaze, Talons and⁣ Volts. For ⁢the 2025 season, AUSL will barnstorm 10 cities before the⁢ league becomes city-based next year. Each team will play a 24-game season. At the conclusion ⁣of the regular ⁤season, the ⁣top two teams will play each other in the best-of-three AUSL Championship in Tuscaloosa,‍ Alabama⁢ from July 26-28.

The​ move to a traditional team ⁢format is a significant change from Athletes Unlimited’s other softball ventures.​ Players had lobbied for this change.

“The viewership‍ and fan base now will have something to get behind other than just one specific player,” said AUSL advisor and softball legend Jennie Finch.”It’s the storylines of the season,of the week of ‍matchups,all of those things. …⁣ And you’ll have a jersey and a mascot to get behind as well.”

Games ⁢will be held in Rosemont, Illinois; Wichita, Kansas;⁤ Sulphur, Louisiana; Chattanooga, Tennessee; ⁣Norman, Oklahoma; Omaha, Nebraska; Seattle; Salt Lake⁢ City; Round rock, Texas; ‍and Tuscaloosa. The league ​views this touring ‌model ⁤as a “tryout” for ⁢cities to potentially land⁣ home‍ teams next‌ season.

“We get to see which cities‍ really show ⁣up and maybe next year ‌they can​ be home cities ​for our league,” said Volts shortstop Sis Bates.

From first pitch to the final out, here’s ‌the full ‌schedule for the inaugural AUSL season 🥎🤩

Full schedule: https://t.co/yJUWIECmA3 pic.twitter.com/l9NNSvWDGV

— AUSL (@theAUSLofficial) April 24, 2025

Meet the Teams

Bandits

General manager: Jenny Dalton-hill

Head coach: ​ Stacey nuveman-Deniz

Players to know: Odicci Alexander, Lexi Kilfoyl, bubba Nickles-Camarena

New ⁤threads for @lexikilfoyl 🤠 pic.twitter.com/2HJEoytXBF

— ⁢Bandits | Athletes​ Unlimited Softball League (@AUSL_Bandits) May ⁢28, 2025

Blaze

General manager: Dana ⁤Sorensen

Head coach: ⁣Alisa Goler

Players to know: ​Keilani R