Major League Baseball dropped a bombshell announcement on May 29, revealing the league is investing in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. AUSL will begin its inaugural season on June 7, just a few months after MLB’s Opening Day. It’s a first-of-its-kind move for MLB, as previous pro softball leagues have struggled to find long-term success. With the WNBA’s recent surge, AUSL has a real shot at breaking through.
MLB Begins Partnership With Athletes Unlimited Softball League
MLB called it a “first-of-its-kind, comprehensive partnership with a women’s professional sports league” as AUSL gears up for its debut. The league will launch with four teams. By comparison, the WNBA started with eight teams when it debuted in 1997.
The clearest link between the AUSL and WNBA is the support from a powerful, established sports league. Just as the NBA helped push the WNBA forward, MLB appears ready to give AUSL the resources it needs to grow. The recent boost in WNBA viewership—largely thanks to stars like Caitlin Clark—is a model AUSL hopes to follow.
Major League Baseball today announced a strategic investment in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), marking a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive partnership with a women’s professional sports league.
The new pro softball league launches its inaugural season with Opening… pic.twitter.com/0py7PAVuEv
— MLB (@MLB) May 29, 2025
The 2025 season will include 24 games and the AUSL All-Star Cup. According to the official site, 60 professional softball players will earn a base salary of $45,000, with bonuses pushing potential earnings as high as $75,000. That’s a promising start for a new league and offers a solid full-time wage for many players.
One unique wrinkle: teams won’t be city-based until 2026. This year, all four teams—Bandits, Blaze, Talons, and Volts—will have generic names and travel across the country. That means no home-field advantage, though some players might return to familiar college stadiums.
Ten cities will host games this season: Rosemont, Illinois; Wichita, Kansas; Sulphur, Louisiana; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Norman, Oklahoma; Omaha, Nebraska; Seattle, Washington; Salt Lake City, Utah; Round Rock, Texas; and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The AUSL All-Star Cup will take place in Rosemont, and both Holly Springs and Greenville, North Carolina.
Rosemont is the only city hosting both regular season games and All-Star Cup action. A site for the best-of-three championship series has not yet been announced.
MORE: Yankees’ Aaron Judge Makes History With Feat Not Seen in 71 Years
The league is led by Commissioner Kim Ng. At 56, Ng brings a deep resume that includes a stint as Miami Marlins general manager from 2021 to 2023, and three World Series titles as assistant GM of the Yankees from 1998 to 2000.
Broadcast coverage is another major win: AUSL has deals with ESPN and MLB Network. Games will air on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, MLB Network, and MLB.TV, with the full schedule expected soon ahead of Opening Day on June 7.