Brewers, Ryan Sanders Baseball lead new investment group in AUSL

Support for professional softball continues to grow, and Thursday morning the Athletes Unlimited Softball League announced a new group of strategic investors to help strengthen the league’s longevity.

This group is led by the Milwaukee Brewers and Ryan Sanders Baseball and shows that well-known and well-respected figures in the Major and Minor League Baseball spaces see the AUSL as a growing and legitimate pro softball entity that will only become stronger.

“This is a meaningful moment for the AUSL because it reflects growing belief from some of the most respected operators in baseball that professional softball has enormous long-term potential,” said Jon Patricof, CEO and co-founder of Athletes Unlimited. “The Brewers have built one of the most admired organizations in Major League Baseball, while Nolan, Reid and Don bring decades of experience creating successful franchises and connecting deeply with fans and communities. Beyond the investment itself, their operational expertise and experience building successful baseball properties across multiple markets will be incredibly valuable as we continue building the AUSL into a sustainable premier professional league.”

The Brewers are the first MLB team to invest directly in the AUSL. With others potentially stepping up in the future, the popular pro softball league that sold out stadiums all over the country in 2025 will continue becoming the league post-college players have long wanted.

With six teams, the league has major room to grow. The rise in popularity surrounding the collegiate space is still miles ahead of the professional space, and it will take massive support and investors to close that gap.

Milwaukee Brewers chairman and principal owner Mark Attanasio and baseball legends and executives Nolan Ryan, Reid Ryan and Don Sanders of Ryan Sanders Baseball, one of the premier ownership and operating groups in Minor League Baseball through franchises including the Round Rock Express, are leading this partnership. 

Ryan Sanders Baseball already plays a major role in the AUSL as the operating partner of the Texas Volts, who call Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas, home.

“We’ve seen the reaction from our fans at Dell Diamond and we’re thrilled to become strategic investors in AUSL,” Ryan Sanders Baseball CEO Reid Ryan said. “Our history with professional softball goes back several decades and we know it takes people willing to invest in these athletes. We want to be long-term partners in this league and help continue the growth of the game.”

“We have seen the sustained growth in the popularity of women’s sports, and with the best players in the world professional softball has strong appeal across many demographics,” said Attanasio. “The AUSL has built a strong leadership team and they are in an ideal position to capitalize on the momentum of their inaugural season.”

The league will see stars such as Karlyn Pickens, NiJaree Canady, and Reese Atwood taking the field soon. These are top-level players who collegiate fans have grown to love over the years, and now they have a real league to land in once their eligibility is up, instead of watching their playing careers come to an end.

It is not just this group, either. A stronger, better-backed AUSL means the players fans follow every spring, this year’s and the ones still coming up, will have a stage worth tuning in for after college.

The AUSL season begins Tuesday, June 9, with three games, all times EDT. The Carolina Blaze hosts the Portland Cascade at 5 p.m. at Smith Family Stadium in Durham, N.C., on CBS Sports Network. The Oklahoma City Spark hosts the Texas Volts at 7 p.m. at Tom Heath Field in Edmond, Okla., on ESPN2. The nightcap features the Utah Talons hosting the Chicago Bandits at 9 p.m. at Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City.