Athletes Unlimited Softball Players Unionize, Seek CBA Negotiations

A group of Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) players unionized on Tuesday night. 

Players are asking the league to voluntarily recognize their union, the AUSLPA, and begin negotiating a collective bargaining agreement to reach a compromise well before the 2027 season. AUSL seasons have historically begun in June, after the NCAA softball season ends.

Sports Solidarity, a consulting firm founded by attorney Harry Marino, who led the unionization of Minor League Baseball players in 2022, is leading the process.

A statement was delivered on behalf of the players. 

"After an incredibly successful 2026 season, we are thrilled to announce that a supermajority of AUSL players have signed union cards to form the AUSLPA," the AUSLPA said in a statement. "This is a landmark next step in the growth of our sport. The AUSL is a top professional league that deserves a fully professional system in which the league and the players' union come together at the bargaining table to negotiate a fair contract. This model has proven successful time and again in other sports, and it will work well here. We look forward to the AUSL quickly recognizing our union so we can begin negotiations immediately and reach a first CBA well in advance of the 2027 season."

This union has formed following two successful years of the AUSL. 2026 saw an expansion from four to six teams and was the first year with city-based teams. The Championship Series between the Utah Talons and the Chicago Bandits was the even the first ever professional softball game to air on ABC, which averaged a record 732,000 viewers. 

Additionally, 25 games sold out, while league-wide attendance increased well into the second half of the season; merchandise sales went up 110%, and the league’s social media accounts grew by almost 450,000 followers. 

And yet, the players deserve more. A major headline at the start of the season was how college superstar NiJaree Canady was delaying her debut with the Texas Volts as she was seeking a “fair and equitable contract”. The ace from Texas Tech had been making over $1 million in NIL, but after a three-day holdout, she was given a contract that was similar to all of the other AUSL rookies. 

An average AUSL salary ranges from $40,000 to $45,000, but bonuses can bring that total up to $75,000.  

Throughout Tuesday morning and afternoon, AUSL teams were announcing roster additions and moves.

Players who were offered contracts are supposed to re-sign over the next month, but this unionization may halt that. Ailana Agbayani (Chicago Bandits), Jocelyn Alo (Chicago Bandits), Kinzie Hansen (OKC Spark), Sydney McKinney (OKC Spark), Reese Atwood (Carolina Blaze), Aubrey Leach (Carolina Blaze), Georgina Corrick (Utah Talons), and Megan Grant (Portland Cascade) are the only players who have signed so far. 

Athletes Unlimited has not acknowledged the union on its official website or social media channels.