What is the AUSL? What to know on professional softball league

The 2026 NCAA Softball Tournament has some of the top talent in the country, ranging from Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady to UCLA's Megan Grant to Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens — to name a few. The three-week tournament will highlight that talent on national TV, with the ESPN family of networks broadcasting the more than 120 games across the three-round tournament. NCAA SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT PREDICTIONS: Picking all 16 regional winners It's also an opportunity for diehard softball fans to themselves familiarize with players who will go on to play in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) at the conclusion of their college softball seasons, which could feature a trip to Oklahoma City for the Women's College World Series.

Pickens, who has four career no-hitters and recorded the fastest pitch in college softball history, was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Carolina Blaze in the 2026 AUSL College Draft. The Lady Vols' senior right-handed pitcher enters the Knoxville Regional with the 11th-best ERA in the country, at 1.

58. The 2026 AUSL season kicks off Tuesday, June 9 with a coast‑to‑coast triple‑header across three cities, showcasing two of its newest expansion teams. Here's what to know on the AUSL ahead of the NCAA Softball Tournament, including a full list of AUSL-bound players competing in the postseason: What is the AUSL?

The AUSL is a city-based professional women's softball league entering its second season of competition in 2026. The league in its debut season traveled around the country with four teams to 10 different cities for a 24-game season last year. The league started as Athletes Unlimited in 2020, and was later rebranded and announced as the AUSL in 2024.