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.

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. Major League Baseball has a strategic investment and equity stake purchased in the league. Former Miami Marlins general manager King Ng, the first female general manager in MLB history, serves as the commissioner.

Last season, the average salary for AUSL players was $40,000, with the opportunity to earn up to $80,000 in bonuses.

In addition to becoming a city-based league in Year 2, the AUSL expanded to a six-team field this season with the additions of the Oklahoma City Spark and the Portland Cascade. Each AUSL roster has 16 players.

What teams are in AUSL?

Here's a list of the teams in the AUSL as it enters its second season:

• Chicago Bandits
• Carolina Blaze
• Utah Talons
• Texas Volts
• Portland Cascade (expansion team)
• Oklahoma City Spark (expansion team)

What is a Golden Ticket in AUSL?

The Golden Ticket in the AUSL is exactly how it sounds: it's an automatic ticket to be drafted into the AUSL.

There were 17 Golden Tickets — which are delivered by softball legends, AUSL ambassadors, or league leadership — handed out for the 2026 AUSL College Draft, with the list of recipients including Pickens, Canady and Grant among the list.

Here's a look at Oklahoma's Ailana Agbayani receiving a Golden Ticket on April 24. The Sooners infielder eventually went with the first pick of the third round to the Chicago Bandits:

AUSL players in 2026 NCAA Softball Tournament

Here's a list of NCAA Softball Tournament players selected in the 2026 AUSL Draft, including where they'll play professionally:

Round 1

• Tennessee P Karlyn Pickens: Pick 1 to Carolina Blaze
• Texas Tech P NiJaree Canady: Pick 2 to Texas Volts
• Belmont P Maya Johnson: Pick 3 to Oklahoma City Spark
• UCLA UTL Megan Grant: Pick 4 to Portland Cascade
• Florida C Jocelyn Erickson: Pick 5 to Chicago Bandits
• UCLA INF Jordan Woolery: Pick 6 to Utah Talons

Round 2

• Texas C Reese Atwood: Pick 1 to Carolina Blaze
• Texas INF Leighann Goode: Pick 2 to Texas Volts
• Arizona C Sydney Stewart: Pick 3 to Portland Cascade
• Mississippi State P Peja Goold: Pick 4 to Oklahoma City Spark
• Stanford INF Taryn Kern: Pick 5 to Chicago Bandits
• UCLA P Taylor Tinsley: Pick 6 to Utah Talons

Round 3

• Oklahoma INF Ailana Agbayani: Pick 1 to Chicago Bandits
• Oregon UTL Amari Harper: Pick 2 to Oklahoma City Spark
• Arizona State P Kenzie Brown: Pick 3 to Portland Cascade
• Arkansas OF Dakota Kennedy: Pick 4 to Carolina Blaze
• Florida INF Kenleigh Cahalan: Pick 5 to Portland Cascade

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