As 2025 comes to a close, and with women’s sports continuing to gain momentum, a new professional sports league dedicated to hard-working women has launched in the United States. The new league of Athletes Unlimited will redefine the world of professional softball and allow for a special future for collegiate softball athletes. This newly commissioned league will foster a hardcore competition atmosphere while keeping the traditional softball game we all know and love.
From the MLB to the AUSL: Kim Ng
Former General Manager of the MLB team, the MIAMI MARLINS, Kim Ng, brings forward knowledge and her leadership skills to the (smaller in size) softball diamond. Her mission is to connect the bridges between baseball and softball, which would allow for both sports to prosper, but also allow for women’s sports to continue to grow as they have this past year (2025).
Since she sits at the top of the ASUL, she can bring her softball experience and baseball level leadership to bring softball fanatics a new league to enjoy. Ng’s career since 2005 has been very important to women in sports. For the last 20 years, Ng has continued to break barriers and now with this recent development, she just broken another barrier for ALL women.
New league, who this?
Starting on June 7th (in 2025), it is the inaugural season for professional softball in the United States. This league will begin with four different teams, each built with varying dynamics. Those teams include: the Volts, Talons, Blaze, and Bandits. On each of the four teams, they have a roster of 15 players, sourced from college softball (aka the best of the best). As of now (June 2nd), there is no home base; instead, this league will start there season on a touring status, meaning that players will play across ten different US cities. Bigger cities include Tuscaloosa, Wichita, and Chicago. Kim Ng and her collaborators brought forward this approach to (hopefully) bring a more diverse fan base and to create a more national presence than just the world of softball.
heading the right direction: More women’s sports broadcasting
As of the last week of May, the AUSL has secured broadcasting partnerships with ESPN and MLB to ensure more coverage of their 24-game season, just like it was regular-season major league baseball games. In the press conference after the agreement between the ASUL and MLB, Commissioner Rob Manfred positively stated that: “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 [AUSL commissioner] Kim Ng’s leadership, the AUSL vision, and the incredible talent of its athletes”. This type of coverage, seen for both women’s and men’s sports, provides fans with more opportunities to follow softball and contribute to the growth that the new professional league deserves.
“Ive got a golden ticket” — charlie buckets
Commissioner of the AUSL, Kim Ng, and her collaborators selected the best of the best college softball players with the use of a “golden ticket” method. This “Willy Wonka” initiative allows the league to open up a new pathway for softball athletes to show the world that there is such a thing as a post-college softball career (that is not just coaching).
This league is not only about talent, but it is a nationwide movement. Thats been happening since the early 1970s after Congress passed TITLE IX. It is all about giving the long-awaited spotlight to softball athletes, coaches, and fans. The AUSL is where passion meets purpose, where the softball players break barriers for future generations. In the years to come, this league will rewrite the stereotype that women do not belong in hardcore sports.
the future of pro softball
The AUSL represents a safe community for woman to grow in their careers and their own game, in a professional setting. The visionary leadership, strong league advocacy, focusing on talent, and fan engagement allow for the AUSL to make a long-term impact on women in sports and the growth of women FINALLY being able to play professional sports outside of the Olympic games.
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, What Will Happen To Softball
The future of this league will surely change the way that softball players are viewed and even respected. As the AUSL progresses throughout the years, there are plans instilled to change this “touring” league into something more perminent like the MLB and it’s 30 teams. Overall, this league and everyone involved is committed to innovation, community, and a more transparent force towards women having access to professional sports in the United States.