MLB Invests in Women's Professional Softball with New Athletes Unlimited League Partnership

Major League Baseball’s commissioner, Robert Manfred, this week announced the league will be investing in a new women’s professional softball league.

Manfred appeared on CBS Mornings to share the news. The MLB will partner with Athletes Unlimited Softball League. AUL’s new commissioner, Kim Ng, previously worked for MLB as well. AUL first launched in 2020, but the partnership with MLB signals a significant leap forward for the league. 

“We've been very engaged in the softball space as part of our youth participation programs. And the growing popularity in women's sports motivated us to look around," Manfred told CBS News. "We looked at startups, we looked at making an investment, and we thought AUSL was a great fit for us."

As a part of the partnership, the MLB agreed to broadcast certain AUL softball games on its network and streaming services. The MLB will also assist in marketing the league and provide financial support. 

For its inaugural season, the four AUL teams, the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts, will play a 24-game series culminating in a championship in late July. In its second season, the AUL will adopt a city-based team set up similar to other professional sports. The league is anticipating building teams in 12 cities in 2026.

"There's such a great softball infrastructure that exists. A pipeline of athletes," Manfred said. "We thought that we could get to the point of having a sustainable league much quicker with softball." 

Ng told CBS News, “Having worked at major league baseball for ten years and having led that softball division, we were always trying to connect with the women's side, you know, with women's college softball.”

The AUL’s season opener on June 7 will include games in Rosemont, Illinois and Wichita, Kansas. The inaugural championship game will be held at the University of Alabama’s Rhoads Stadium.