Athletes Unlimited Softball League
American professional softball league
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) is a women's professional softball league in the United States, founded in 2024 and run by Athletes Unlimited.
Upcoming season or competition: 2026 AUSL season | |
| |
| Sport | Softball |
|---|---|
| First season | 2025 |
| Commissioner | Kim Ng |
| Organising body | Athletes Unlimited |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country | United States |
| Most recent champion | Utah Talons |
| Most titles | Utah Talons (1) |
| Broadcaster | ESPN |
| Official website | theausl |
History
On June 4, 2024, Athletes Unlimited announced a new softball league, that will feature four teams playing a 30-game season in a traditional format, complementing the existing Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball Championship season.[1][2] ESPN has signed on as a founding broadcast partner.[1] The AUSL will become a city-based league beginning in 2026, while the inaugural season in 2025 will be touring with games in six to eight different cities.[3] The average salary for a player will be $40,000–45,000, with salaries up to $75,000 achievable through bonus payments.[4][5] Lexi Kilfoyl was drafted first overall by the Bandits in the inaugural AUSL draft.[6] Kim Ng was appointed AUSL commissioner on April 16, 2025.[7]
On May 29, 2025, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced a strategic investment in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League to help establish the AUSL as a sustainable organization.[8][9]
Champions
| Year | Team | Location | Opponent | Series Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Utah Talons | Tuscaloosa, AL | Chicago Bandits | 2–0 |
Teams
| Team | Location | Stadium | Founded | Joined | General manager | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, Illinois | Parkway Bank Sports Complex | 2005[a] | 2025 | Jenny Dalton-Hill | Shonda Stanton |
| Carolina Blaze | Durham, North Carolina | Duke University Softball Stadium | 2025 | Dana Sorensen | Kara Dill | |
| Portland Cascade | Hillsboro, Oregon | Hillsboro Ballpark | 2026 | Jami Lobpries | Tairia Flowers | |
| Oklahoma City Spark | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Tom Heath Field | 2023[b] | 2026 | Kirk Walker | Amber Flores |
| Utah Talons | Salt Lake City, Utah | Dumke Family Stadium | 2025 | Lisa Fernandez | Howard Dobson | |
| Texas Volts | Round Rock, Texas | Dell Diamond | 2025 | Cat Osterman | Ricci Woodard | |
Notes
- As part of National Pro Fastpitch
- As part of Women's Professional Fastpitch.
