TheAthletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) is a women's professionalsoftball league in the United States, founded in 2024 and run byAthletes Unlimited.
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 existingAthletes 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 throughbonus 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]
2025 AUSL season
