ASUL Pitcher

BRINGING THE HEAT

Launching in June 2025, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) is a professional women’s softball league featuring four teams playing a 30-game season in a traditional format and creates a new opportunity for the world’s best professional softball players to compete.

It is complemented by the AUSL All-Star Cup – a four-week season where 60 athletes compete utilizing Athletes Unlimited’s innovative format.

  • 30-game season
  • 4 teams
  • 60 athletes
  • Launching June 2025
  • Tour 6-8 cities in 2025

Latest news

BE IN THE KNOW

Stay updated on the latest AUSL news, signings and more.

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MEET THE STAFF

  • Lisa Fernandez

    General Manager (Team 1)

    Associate Head Softball Coach at UCLA & three-time Olympic gold medal winner for Team USA (1996, 2000, and 2004)

  • Howard Dobson

    Head Coach (Team 1)

    Assistant Coach at LSU for 13 Seasons & USA Softball Coach from 2012-2021

  • Jenny Dalton-Hill

    General Manager (Team 2)

    Three-time College Softball World Series Champion with the Arizona Wildcats (1993, 94 & 96) &  ESPN Softball Analyst

  • Stacey Nuveman-Deniz

    Head Coach (Team 2)

    Three-time Olympic medalist (gold in 2000 and 2004; silver in 2008) & Head Softball coach at San Diego State University

  • Cat Osterman

    General Manager (Team 3); Advisor

    2020 Athletes Unlimited Softball Champion & Three-Time Olympic Medalist (gold in 2004; silver in 2008 & 2020)

  • Kelly Kretschman

    Head Coach (Team 3)

    Olympic Gold (2004) & Silver (2008) Medalist & Three-Time National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Player of the Year (2015-2017)

  • Dana Sorensen

    General Manager (Team 4)

    Three-time NFCA All-American & Member of Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame

  • Alisa Goler

    Head Coach (Team 4)

    Head Softball Coach at Western Illinois University & 2011 NPF Rookie of the Year

  • Kim NG

    Senior Advisor

    Former MLB Executive & First Female MLB General Manager

  • Jennie Finch

    Advisor

    Two-Time Olympic Medalist & Three-Time World Softball Champion

  • Jessica Mendoza

    Advisor

    ESPN Broadcaster & Four-Time First-Team All-American Softball Standout

  • Natasha Watley

    Advisor

    Two-Time Olympic Medalist, Four-Time All-American, & Seven-Time All-Star Softball Player

FAQ

Launching in 2025, the AUSL is a professional women’s softball league operating a traditional format, complementing the existing AU Pro Softball Championship Season, which will be renamed the AUSL All-Star Cup, and creating a new opportunity for the world’s best players to compete.

Athletes Unlimited launched in 2020 with its first AU Pro Softball Championship Season, later adding pro women’s lacrosse, volleyball, and basketball leagues as well as AU Pro Softball AUX, an additional two-week softball season. The AUSL marks the latest expansion of Athletes Unlimited’s presence in softball.

There is an opportunity to expand and develop what professional softball can be in the US. The sport is experiencing significant growth in both participation and exposure. TV viewership continues to increase & the sport will also return to the Olympics in 2028.

Each team will play a 30-game season (60 games).

In 2025, there will be (at least) four teams.

There will be 15 players per team.

Yes, each team has a General Manager. The GMs of the 2025 inaugural season are:

  • Lisa Fernandez (Team 1)
  • Jenny Dalton-Hill (Team 2)
  • Cat Osterman (Team 3)
  • Dana Sorensen (Team 4)

The Head Coaches of the 2025 inaugural season are:

  • Howard Dobson (Team 1)
  • Stacey Nuveman-Deniz (Team 2)
  • Kelly Kretschman (Team 3)
  • Alisa Goler (Team 4)

The AUSL will become a city-based league beginning in 2026, while the inaugural season in 2025 will be a touring property.

In 2025, the AUSL will be a touring property featuring games in 6-8 different cities. Cities will be announced at a later date.

ESPN has signed on as a founding broadcast partner of the AUSL and will carry at least 18 games exclusively on its linear platforms (ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU) in 2025.

Leadership for the AUSL will be announced in the coming months. Each team will have a dedicated staff to support operations.

Athletes Unlimited has developed an unprecedented partnership with athletes in the development and management of all of its leagues. The Player Executive Committee (PEC) has played an important role in our thinking about the AUSL, and the athletes will continue to have a unique voice in the running of the league.

Athletes Unlimited will own and operate the AUSL. Softball legends Jennie Finch, Jessica Mendoza, Cat Osterman, and Natasha Watley have signed on as advisors to the AUSL, consulting with AU leadership and current athletes on the strategic direction of the new league. Former MLB Executive Kim Ng is a Senior Advisor. USA Softball is a strategic partner.

The General Managers of the inaugural 2025 season are Lisa Fernandez, Jenny Dalton-Hill, Osterman, and Dana Sorensen. The Head Coaches are Howard Dobson, Stacey Nuveman-Deniz, Kelly Kretschman, and Alisa Goler.

The existing AU Pro Softball Championship Season will follow the conclusion of the AUSL season. It will be renamed the AUSL All-Star Cup beginning in 2025 while continuing to use AU’s innovative scoring model to crown an individual champion.

The player selection and draft process will be announced in the coming weeks and months.

Follow us on social media for upcoming announcements via this page and at @theAUSLofficial. #AUSL