AUSL Finalizes Team Cities Ahead of 2026 Season
The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) officially announced the home markets for its six teams, marking a meaningful shift toward regional identity and long-term stability in professional softball.
While the league finalized these decisions internally, the cities selected reflect a consistent pattern: existing softball culture, demonstrated fan engagement, and infrastructure that lowers operational risk. From our perspective at Business of Ball (without being in the room obviously) the announcement reads as a data-informed bet on where professional softball already resonates.
Texas Volts — Round Rock, Texas
The Texas Volts will play in Round Rock, Texas, at Dell Diamond, a venue that already proved itself during the league’s 2025 season.
AUSL hosted a series at Dell Diamond last year that drew one of its strongest crowds, a critical signal for a league evaluating repeat attendance and local market demand.
That experience aligns directly with player feedback. Volts catcher Michaela Edenfield described the environment as one of the most impactful stops of the season:
“I loved playing there. The support last season was unreal. The fans showed up consistently, and the environment felt electric every time we took the field. It definitely felt like a place where softball is valued and celebrated, so I’m pumped to be back there again.”
From a business standpoint, Round Rock offers:
- Access to the greater Austin metro area (2.4M+)
- A proven minor league venue built for ticketed events
- One of the strongest youth softball pipelines in the country
Returning to a market that already showed up isn’t just sentimental — it’s sound league economics.
OKC Spark — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The OKC Spark staying in Oklahoma City may be the least surprising move — and the most strategically secure.
Oklahoma City is home to the Women’s College World Series, drawing tens of thousands of fans annually and consistently ranking among the most softball-literate markets in the country. The infrastructure, fan education, and cultural buy-in already exist.
From our lens, OKC provides AUSL with:
- Immediate credibility
- A knowledgeable fan base
- Reliable attendance expectations
For a league balancing growth with stability, anchoring a team in the sport’s epicenter is a foundational move.
Chicago Bandits — Chicago, Illinois
The Chicago Bandits carries legacy and brand value in Chicago that few AUSL teams can match.
Chicago’s Bandits were a mainstay of National Pro Fastpitch from 2005 until 2021, winning multiple championships and featuring icons like Jennie Finch, widely considered one of the most recognizable figures in softball history.
On top of that, The Stadium at Parkway Bank Sports Complex served as home-base in 2025. All four teams played and practiced there, so the players and the AUSL fanbase is already quite familiar with Rosemont.
Market Strengths
- Bandits name carries two decades of Chicago softball history
- Jennie Finch’s legacy boosts institutional credibility
- Chicago’s population (~9.5M metro) provides massive sponsorship and media opportunity
Utah Talons — Utah (City Details Pending)
The Utah Talons will post up in Salt Lake City, a market that quietly showed promise during previous AUSL stops.
A prior series hosted at the University of Utah drew solid crowds, suggesting both curiosity and readiness for a consistent professional presence. Utah’s youth sports participation has continued to rise, and the state offers fewer competing pro summer sports options.
From our perspective, Utah benefits from:
- Strong family-oriented sports culture
- Collegiate softball crossover
- Opportunity to be a primary attraction rather than an afterthought
Specific city or venue details may follow, but the broader market logic is already evident.
Carolina Blaze — North Carolina (Durham Area)
The Carolina Blaze are expected to play in North Carolina, most likely at Duke University’s softball stadium in Durham.
While final venue details may still be confirmed, the Carolina region offers:
- Rapid population growth
- Deep collegiate softball presence
- A large, underserved East Coast fan base for pro softball
From a league standpoint, placing a team in the Southeast fills a geographic gap and expands AUSL’s national footprint.
Portland Cascade — Portland, Oregon
The Portland Cascade land in one of the most reliable women’s sports markets in the country.
Portland has consistently shown up for women’s professional teams across multiple sports, supported by a community-oriented fan base and strong youth participation.
From a business lens, Portland feels less experimental and more predictable — a market where women’s sports are already part of the cultural fabric.
What This Announcement Signals for AUSL
Assigning cities does more than give teams a home address. It enables:
- Local sponsorship pipelines
- Repeat attendance behavior
- Market-specific storytelling
- Clearer team identities
For women’s professional softball, permanence has always been the missing ingredient. This announcement doesn’t solve everything — but it establishes a foundation that can be built upon.
As additional venue details and city-level updates emerge, clarity will improve. Even now, though, the strategy is visible: AUSL is prioritizing markets that already understand and value softball — and that’s a smart place to start.
