Oklahoma City Spark joins Athletes Unlimited Softball League, bringing unity and structure to the professional game.
Professional Softball Looks Stronger Today
You have all seen and heard the news from yesterday on the Oklahoma City Spark joining the AUSL ahead of the 2026 season. This is something I have been thinking about since the moment Athletes Unlimited announced a league of actual teams. It always made too much sense, and I am glad it has finally happened.
Regardless of how some may feel about the AUSL, this is what professional softball needed. The Oklahoma City Spark is already a strong and respected brand, and their move into a fast rising Athletes Unlimited Softball League is a major win for the sport. It signals that the professional space is moving in the right direction and that progress is happening for the betterment of the game.
I have talked to a good amount of people across softball, both in the collegiate and professional ranks, and one of the common wishes has been simple. People want to see egos put aside so the sport can grow in a unified way. They want the women who play this game now to have the opportunities they deserve, and they want the younger generations to inherit something even stronger.
Sam Show summed that idea up perfectly when we talked about the pro game a while back. There have always been great players on professional teams, but having them all on the same solid playing field has never lasted long.
“You have all these elite players in different places and we cannot get people to watch them. Imagine them all coming together in one league,” she said.
Now with the Spark joining, you will see a strong group of players such as Jocelyn Alo, Kelly Maxwell, Jayda Coleman, and others have a chance to come into the AUSL. Some will not end up with OKC because of the draft, but they will now have the chance to share the same field as the players already in AU, which is what the sport has needed.
Show also spoke about what has set AU apart from others in the professional game. These are the things that matter and the things that should be standard for professional athletes. Even major college programs are treated with top notch care, so there is no reason for professional players to take a step backward.
“The AUSL is professional. The backing they have from sponsors, the ESPN deals, the MLB partnership, all of that makes it so professional from travel into market, travel out of market, pregame meals, everything.” She went on to say, “You have an athletic trainer with your team always. It seems basic and something you would expect, but we have not always had that in professional softball.”
That perspective lined up perfectly with something Coach Alisa Goler shared with me when we talked about the direction of the professional game. She is all about not cutting corners and not taking shortcuts, which is what everyone should be doing. If you want this thing to be right, there is no cutting corners.
“I am a fan of the powers that be within it that really want to do it right and not take a shortcut. In the past it has been, let’s just try to get this done and take shortcuts. I do not think they want to do that now. I really hope it continues to set the standard moving forward for what our sport should expect in the pro setting.”
She also talked about the impact this stability is already having on younger players. Younger players are starting to see a solid path for them now beyond college.
“I want college players to be able to say, I want to go get drafted, because they have not been able to do that for a long time. That is a huge piece that no one talks about. When I was at USA with the 18s, some of them said, I think I want to play pro. That made me so happy because they have never been able to say that before. Those are small things not everyone gets to see, but it made me so happy to hear it.”
I commend the Spark on their effort to make their team visible in the past. They streamed their games on YouTube, which showed real dedication and commitment to their fans. I tuned in sometimes to watch. People want to see their favorite teams and players play. Now they will step into the wider and even more familiar ESPN structure.
With the AUSL and ESPN striking their expanded deal a few weeks ago, everything lines up perfectly for their brand to grow even stronger. Players and fans I have spoken with have mentioned how important visibility is, and many have thanked AU for making sure that exposure finally happened.
Payton Gottshall spoke on that same point when we talked about what real visibility means for pro softball. She told me that promotion and access are at the heart of the sport growing the right way.
“It is the biggest thing for us to even have a league. We have to be able to promote it. We have to be seen.”
She explained how many people still had no real idea professional softball existed before this summer, which is why platforms like ESPN matter so much. People follow what they can see and feel. You may not be able to travel to the games in person, but having the access to turn on the TV changes the game.
“A lot of people last year were saying, there is professional softball? They still did not really know about it. It is hard to build and grow the game if we do not have platforms like ESPN,” said Gottshall.
She also saw firsthand the impact being visible has had for her and the professional players who play on national television. Who would not want that as a professional athlete?
“People here tell me, I watched you pitch last night. They actually keep up with it now because it is available on ESPN and the MLB Network without having to pay extra for it.”
At the end of the day, all I am saying is that for the good of the game, this was a huge step. If people truly care about the longevity of professional softball, coming together with checked egos is the answer. The sport moves farther and faster when it moves in strength, and the more unified the professional space becomes, the better the future will be for the athletes who play it now and the young girls who will follow them.
That is why I believe pro softball got tremendously stronger yesterday.
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