MLB to back Athletes Unlimited Softball League ahead of inaugural season
Major League Baseball said Thursday it will invest in Athletes Unlimited, backing the organization's softball league a week before its June 7 debut. The investment is MLB's first in a professional softball league.
'Major League Baseball's investment in the AUSL represents an opportunity to support softball's long-term growth and expand our engagement with these outstanding athletes and their fans,' MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. 'As a part of our broader commitment to growing softball and creating more opportunities for women and girls in sports, this agreement reflects our confidence in Kim Ng's leadership, the AUSL vision, and the incredible talent of its athletes. During this extraordinarily exciting time for women's sports, we want softball to thrive.'
Through MLB's investment for an undisclosed amount, it will support the league's operational costs and major growth initiatives. It hopes to bolster the nascent league's visibility through several MLB platforms, including airing some AUSL games on MLB.com and the MLB Network — which will broadcast one of its two Opening Day games next Saturday.
Ng, the former Miami Marlins executive who in 2020 became the first female general manager in MLB, was named the commissioner of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League last month. She previously served as a senior adviser to the four-team league, which will compete in paired competitions this summer.
'This is a watershed moment for women's sports and especially for softball,' Ng said. 'MLB's investment will supercharge our efforts to build the sustainable professional league this sport has long deserved, and sends a powerful message about the value of female athletes and the importance of creating professional opportunities for them. Together, we're going to reach new fans and inspire the next generation of softball players.'
In Year One, AUSL teams — the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts — will play 24 games each from June 7 to July 23, and the top two teams will compete in a best-of-three series championship series July 26-28. The following month, 60 players will compete for an individual championship in the 21-game AUSL All-Star Cup — which will use Athletes Unlimited's unique scoring system.
During its inaugural season, AUSL games will be contended across 12 cities. In 2026, it will become a city-based league.
Athletes Unlimited has offered softball since 2020, when the broader organization was founded to oversee professional women's basketball, softball and volleyball leagues. It formerly operated a lacrosse league, which ceased operation in 2024.
Its former softball program ran from 2020 to 2024, and crowned individual instead of team champions each season — a distinct format that contrasts with its current, more traditional team-based configuration. The league featured former college standouts including ex-James Madison star Odicci Alexander and Cat Osterman, a former Texas and Team USA pitcher who now serves the general manager of the Volts.
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