Sellouts, Support, and Serious Momentum: Pro Softball is Here to Stay
The Rise of Pro Softball is Real
Ever since the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) took flight this season, the popularity and want for pro softball has been something to see. If you had any doubt about whether fans would gravitate immediately, you have your answer.
Sellout after sellout, city after city, fans are showing up in massive numbers, and tickets are going faster than my kid’s Lucky Charms.
So the question is, will this become the norm or is it just the hype for now?
Based on what we’ve seen from the college game over the past several years especially, I believe this will be the norm. Softball enthusiasts, myself included, have long wanted to see this type of interest in this great game.
If I could get EA Sports on board to put out a softball video game, that would be the icing on the cake.
A Chat with Sam Fischer
Monday after I arrived in Rosemont, I had the chance to speak with Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s Manager of Softball Operations, Sam Fischer. I asked her a couple of questions, and she gave me some great insight.
Did they see this great phenomenon that has become the AUSL thriving this quickly and spreading like it has?
“Honestly, I feel like I’ve always known that we’ve been capable of it. But seeing everybody show up has been a really cool experience. As players, we know this is high-level. We’re out there competing all the time.
Sometimes we miss the mark on people coming out, but I knew it was there. It was just a matter of tapping into it. So I wouldn’t say it’s been a surprise, but it’s been really pleasant to see that people are showing up for us.”
This has definitely become the hot ticket. Some seats are going for $200 or more on third-party sites, prices I’ve mostly seen in the college football space. People are already showing how big this is.
AUSL Expansion on the Horizon
With expansion being the plan for next year, everyone wants to know which cities will land teams. I wonder myself on the daily. What I do know is that everyone wants to be a part of this.
In my honest opinion, if fans keep showing up and proving there’s a demand for pro softball, this league will expand quickly.
“I think based on how we’ve seen it go this year, we’ve been welcomed so warmly in each place, and people are showing up for us. I can only see it going in the direction of more teams,” Fischer said.
“We have a very strong senior class for 2026 that’s going to be crazy strong, and the players we have here are developing and proving they belong as pros.
Kicking it off this strong in the inaugural season can only mean more growth. We’re getting feedback from cities saying, ‘Come here, we want you,’ and that’s a great place to be starting from.”
What About the Original Athletes Unlimited Softball?
I also asked Fischer about the original Athletes Unlimited Softball format, and if that will still be around moving forward after this year.
“I’m really curious to see how it plays out now that we’ve expanded into the summer. We’re going to go and play that in August, and I’m excited to see how it functions differently with this season in front of it.
I think it’ll have a different feel, but the same excitement. Next year could look exactly the same or completely different. What matters most is how the players feel going into it.
That’s what has made Athletes Unlimited so unique. The players have bought in from the start, and I’m just as curious as anyone to see where it goes.”
Keep Showing Up
To the fans out there: if you want this league to stick around for good, and for these athletes to earn the kind of living that allows them to be full-time softball players, keep showing up and keep supporting. They greatly appreciate it and love doing what they do.
The goal is to expand. The even bigger goal is to one day have a world where professional softball players can make the kind of money they deserve. Working another job should be a choice, not a have to.
