Following a sensational inaugural season, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League has expanded by two teams -- the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts will be joined in 2026 by the Oklahoma City Spark and Cascade. The AUSL Expansion Draft, through which the two new franchises will be building their rosters, began

Sam Landry, the first overall pick in the inaugural AUSL Draft last year, was caught in a bit of a whirlwind when she joined the Volts. She had just three days off between nearly leading Oklahoma to an NCAA championship and joining the pros. Her performance was, in her own

The new additions to the AUSL -- the Oklahoma City Spark and Cascade -- have a tall order next month. Both expansion teams will build their teams from scratch at the AUSL Draft on Dec. 1, live on ESPNU at 7 p.m. ET. For fans of the Bandits, Blaze, Talons

In building off the success of its debut season, Athletes Unlimited Softball League is expanding for the 2026 season. As part of that process, each of the four original teams (Talons, Blaze, Bandits and Volts) were allowed to protect five players, with the two new teams (Cascade and Oklahoma City

LAS VEGAS -- Thursday brought a fitting ending to a year that saw the remarkable debut season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League: Four of the AUSL’s best players were honored at the MLB Awards from the Chelsea Theater in Las Vegas.

• Erin Coffel won MVP and Hitter of

Following a breakout inaugural season fueled by sellout crowds across the country, record viewership and social engagement, and a strategic investment by Major League Baseball, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) has unveiled two new teams set to make their debut in the league in 2026. AUSL has officially welcomed

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League Allocation Draft is open to players who have actively opted in to be considered for selection to an AUSL roster. The eligible player pool shall include players from professional leagues around the world, other professional teams, and the AUSL 2025 Reserve Pool. Players must opt-in

After a historic inaugural season, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League is expanding. The Oklahoma City Spark and Cascade will be added to the original four franchises – the Bandits, Blaze, Talons, and Volts – bolstering the league to six clubs in 2026. The AUSL will facilitate a two-part draft process

Following an incredibly successful inaugural season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), ESPN and Athletes Unlimited (AU) on Wednesday announced a multi-year rights extension that strengthens ESPN’s role as an official broadcast partner for AU’s professional leagues in softball, basketball, and volleyball. The expanded agreement deepens ESPN’s investment in

Normally during a regulation softball game, there are nine players on the field at a time. This summer for the AUSL Bandits, there were 10. On July 31, just three days after helping lead the Bandits to the inaugural AUSL Championship Series against the Talons with her efforts on the

Kayla Kowalik proved she can do it all – accomplished captain, excellent pitch caller, versatile hitter – and is now the 2025 Athletes Unlimited Softball League All-Star Cup champion. Kowalik finished atop the leaderboard with 1,570 total points. The catcher finished the season with an 8-2 record, earning a league-leading

Taking in Kayla Kowalik at first glance, or from watching her on offense, it would be difficult to guess that she was a catcher. Like many backstops, Kowalik is tall, at 5-foot-9. But unlike most of her fellow catchers, she is also speedy. Kowalik bats from the left side and

When it comes to being connected with softball fans, Sam Landry is tapped in. She stays late after games to sign autographs, fosters meaningful connections with young players, and shares the personal side of her life on social media. That’s why, when it came to choosing her Athlete Cause for

Before each Kentucky Derby, the tradition is for a choir to sing “My Old Kentucky Home.” And then they’re off to the races. We’re coming to the home stretch of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League All-Star Cup, with three doubleheaders in Rosemont, Ill., from Friday to Sunday. Those games will

The finale of the 2025 Athletes Unlimited Softball League All-Star Cup begins on Friday, Aug. 29. Kayla Kowalik (Gold), Erin Coffel (Orange), Rachel Garcia (Blue), and Keilani Ricketts (Purple) selected their teams on Thursday for Series 4 of the 2025 AUSL All-Star Cup. The All-Star Cup is a four-series season

With its inaugural regular season drawn to a close, the AUSL has released the list of the 10 most popular player jerseys of 2025. Rookie right-hander Sam Landry led all players based on online and in-venue sales since Opening Day on June 7. The first overall pick in the inaugural

Series 3 of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League All-Star Cup begins Sunday, and so far there’s been no slowing down Kayla Kowalik. After a 4-for-8 showing in Series 1 vaulted her to the top of the standings, Kowalik followed it up by going 5-for-7 in Series 2 to take a

USA Softball is back on top at the World Games. After a pair of hard-fought wins on Sunday at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, USA Softball won its fourth consecutive World Games gold medal. USA Softball first defeated Japan, 7-6, in 10 innings before taking down Chinese Taipei,

Athletes Unlimited has made more than its share of softball history since its inception in 2020. The next AUSL All-Star Cup round of games will make even more history in Rosemont, Illinois, from August 19-21.

Kayla Kowalik (Gold), Sarah Willis (Orange), and Kendra Falby (Blue) have selected their teams for Series 2 of the 2025 AUSL All-Star Cup. The All-Star Cup is a four-series season from Aug. 2 to 31 in which 60 professional softball players compete to become the individual champion utilizing Athletes Unlimited’s

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League All-Star Cup begins on Saturday, but before the first pitch, the Series 1 captains will select their teams. The AUSL All-Star Cup is a four-series season from Aug. 2 to 31 in which 60 professional softball players compete to become the individual champion utilizing Athletes

The opening rosters for the 2025 Athletes Unlimited Softball League All-Star Cup have been selected. The AUSL All-Star Cup is a four-series season from Aug. 2 to 31 in which 60 professional softball players compete to become the individual champion utilizing Athletes Unlimited’s innovative format. Teams are hand-picked by the

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) All-Star Cup features 60 professional softball athletes competing for four weeks in Holly Springs and Greenville, N.C., and Rosemont, Ill. Check out the athletes competing in the 2025 AUSL All-Star Cup.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- "What a day," Talons manager Howard Dobson said. "What a day to make history." The ball sailed over the left-field fence, Sydney Romero flapped her Talon wings as she crossed home plate, and an inning later, her team had won the first ever Athletes Unlimited Softball League

Backed by a historic partnership with Major League Baseball, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League's inaugural season came to an end on Sunday with the Talons defeating the Bandits in the second game of the three-game championship series. They finished the regular season with the best two records in the four-team