The Women’s College World Series crowns the 2025 NCAA softball champion on Friday, but fans don’t have to wait until 2026 to see high-level softball. The Athletes Unlimited Softball League begins Saturday with the inaugural games in the new professional league.
Athletes Unlimited has been around since 2020 but announced its intentions to launch a traditional softball league in 2025, starting with four teams. MLB also purchased an equity stake in the AUSL, in which Kim Ng, the former general manager of the Miami Marlins, is commissioner.
The new softball league is set for a 24-game season at a handful of cities around the country. And while professional softball has had numerous leagues over the years, none have quite stuck. But, none of those other leagues had the backing of Major League Baseball, either.
AUSL is launching with four teams – Bandits, Blaze, Talons, Volts – for its first season, and some of softball’s biggest legends are serving as advisors for the league, including Olympic medalists Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman, Jessica Mendoza and Natasha Watley. As for the players, the league includes some big names who have played in Athletes Unlimited in the past few years after shining at the collegiate level, as well as graduating college stars.
The AUSL plans to become a city-based league in 2026, but the inaugural 2025 season will be played on a touring basis, with the four teams traveling to 10 different cities. See the full schedule below:
AUSL regular-season schedule
June 7: at Rosemont, Illinois
Talons vs. Bandits, 3 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
June 7: at Wichita, Kansas
Volts vs. Blaze, 7:30 p.m. | MLB Network, MLB.tv
June 8: at Rosemont, Illinois
Talons vs. Bandits, 2 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
June 8: at Wichita, Kansas
Volts vs. Blaze, 5 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
June 9: at Wichita, Kansas
Volts vs. Blaze, 7 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
June 10: at Rosemont, Illinois
Talons vs. Bandits, 8 p.m. | ESPN2
June 12: at Sulphur, Louisiana
Volts vs. Bandits, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
June 13: at Chattanooga, Tennessee
Talons vs. Blaze, 6:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
June 13: at Sulphur, Louisiana
Volts vs. Bandits, 9 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
June 14: at Chattanooga, Tennessee
Talons vs. Blaze, 12 p.m. | ESPNU
June 14: at Sulphur, Louisiana
Volts vs. Bandits, 7:30 p.m. | MLB Network, MLB.tv
June 15: at Chattanooga, Tennessee
Talons vs. Blaze, 2 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
June 17: at Wichita, Kansas
Bandits vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
June 17: at Wichita, Kansas
Blaze vs. Volts, 9:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
June 18: at Wichita, Kansas
Bandits vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU
June 18: at Wichita, Kansas
Blaze vs. Volts, 9:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
June 20: at Wichita, Kansas
Bandits vs. Blaze, 7 p.m. | ESPNU
June 20: at Norman, Oklahoma
Talons vs. Volts, 8:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
June 21: at Norman, Oklahoma
Talons vs. Volts, 5 p.m. | ESPNU
June 21: at Wichita, Kansas
Bandits vs. Blaze, 7 p.m. | MLB Network, MLB.tv
June 22: at Wichita, Kansas
Bandits vs. Blaze, 5 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
June 22: at Norman, Oklahoma
Talons vs. Volts, 7 p.m. | ESPNU
June 23: at Wichita, Kansas
Bandits vs. Blaze, 6:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
June 23: at Norman, Oklahoma
Talons vs. Volts, 8:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
***Break – International Competitions***
July 7: at Rosemont, Illinois
Bandits vs. Volts, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
July 7: at Rosemont, Illinois
Blaze vs. Talons, 9:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
July 8: at Rosemont, Illinois
Blaze vs. Bandits, 4:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
July 8: at Rosemont, Illinois
Volts vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU
July 9: at Rosemont, Illinois
Blaze vs. Bandits, 11:30 AM vs. MLB.com, MLB.tv
July 9: at Rosemont, Illinois
Volts vs. Talons, 2 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
July 11: at Omaha, Nebraska
Bandits vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU
July 11: at Seattle
Blaze vs. Volts, 10 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
July 12: at Omaha, Nebraska
Bandits vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | MLB Network, MLB.tv
July 12: at Seattle
Blaze vs. Volts, 9 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
July 13: at Omaha, Nebraska
Bandits vs. Talons, 1 p.m. | ESPN2
July 13: at Seattle
Blaze vs. Volts, 4 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
July 16: at Salt Lake City
Blaze vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU
July 17: at Austin, Texas
Bandits vs. Volts, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
July 17: at Salt Lake City
Blaze vs. Talons, 9:30 p.m. | MLB Network, MLB.tv
July 18: at Austin, Texas
Bandits vs. Volts, 8 p.m. | ESPNU
July 18: at Salt Lake City
Blaze vs. Talons, 9 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
July 19: at Salt Lake City
Blaze vs. Talons, 6 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
July 19: at Austin, Texas
Volts vs. Bandits, 8 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
July 20: at Austin, Texas
Volts vs. Bandits, 7 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
July 22: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Volts vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU
July 22: at Rosemont, Illinois
Blaze vs. Bandits, 8:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
July 23: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Volts vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU
July 23: at Rosemont, Illinois
Blaze vs. Bandits, 8:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv
AUSL Championship schedule
July 26: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama
No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed, 5 p.m. | ESPN2
July 27: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama
No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed, 4 p.m. | ESPN2
July 28: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama
No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed, 7 p.m. | ESPN2
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