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Athletes Unlimited shuts down its lacrosse league as the sport’s calendar becomes crowded

December 20, 2024
On Wednesday, Athletes Unlimited (AU) announced it’s indefinitely suspending its AU Pro Lacrosse league. After jumpstarting opportunities in four sports — softball, basketball, lacrosse, and volleyball — within the past four years, this is the first time the company has suspended operations for one of its leagues.
Sports BusinessLacrosse
Athletes Unlimited shuts down its lacrosse league as the sport’s calendar becomes crowdedAthletes Unlimited shuts down its lacrosse league as the sport’s calendar becomes crowded
Source: Athletes Unlimited via USA Lacrosse

The GIST: On Wednesday, Athletes Unlimited (AU) announced it’s indefinitely suspending its AU Pro Lacrosse league. After jumpstarting opportunities in four sports — softball, basketball, lacrosse, and volleyball — within the past four years, this is the first time the company has suspended operations for one of its leagues. Let’s dive in.

The company: Launched in 2020, AU has focused exclusively on creating women’s sports opportunities, namely in popular collegiate sports lacking pro leagues. It has focused on niche sports and utilized a condensed, fantasy-style competition format, something investors sought to cash in on following a $30M capital raise in 2022.

The wins: AU has won over athletes like Cat Osterman, a 2020 AU Softball champ who now sits on its advisory board and is a general manager in its new, longer-format softball league. It’s become a network staple with ESPN, CBS Sports, and Fox all showcasing games, and that’s because fans are tuned in: AU Pro Lacrosse and AU Pro Softball viewership rose across ESPN networks in 2023.

  • AU Pro Lacrosse has touted its 2023 engagement metrics to prove rising interest in the game, with live viewership rising 25% YoY that season. Additionally, attendance rose 41%, social media engagement went up 22%, and merch sales skyrocketed 63%.

The why: Despite this increased interest, AU cited “the international competition schedule” and athlete availability during summer months as reasons for shuttering the league. However, the company pledged to remain involved in developing the sport, stating athletes will benefit from its innovative profit participation plan for the next 20 years.

  • The news comes one month after the men’s Premier Lacrosse League announced a women’s league, which begins next February and features former AU lax stars Charlotte North and Izzy Scane.

Lingering questions: The decision underscores a continued conversation in women’s sports: Is there enough room for all the leagues being launched, or will some lose out? Will AU run into competitive issues with volleyball’s PVF and LOVB, or basketball’s Unrivaled in the future?

  • It also begs the question if AU’s fantasy-based, individual score format makes sense for sports. While AU steps back from lacrosse, it’s looking to lean further into softball by developing a full league. If this goes well, will we see AU narrow its focus on softball or more traditional formats? Only time will tell.
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