Softball | The GIST

Previewing the 64-team NCAA softball tournament

The 64-team NCAA softball national championship tournament swings into action today with 16 double-elimination Regionals on deck. It’s all part of a massive moment for the sport before the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) season begins next month. Batter up, baby.

May 15, 2026

Previewing the inaugural best-of-three Athletes Unlimited Softball League championship

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One historic inaugural regular season full of groundbreaking deals, record attendance, and truly beautiful partnerships later, the Talons and Bandits will face off in the first-ever Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) championship series, hosted at famed Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, beginning tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET.

July 25, 2025

Sephora teams up with AUSL in latest beauty-related women’s sports sponsorship

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Today, Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) announced that Sephora will become its exclusive beauty partner and presenting sponsor of its AUSL Championship series, which airs on ESPN this weekend. While Sephora isn’t the first beauty brand to join the women’s game, it’s gaining ground and further cementing its status as the beauty industry’s top dog.

July 21, 2025

Women’s College World Series reaches winner-take-all Game 3 as AUSL prepares for launch

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Not done yet. No. 12 seed Texas Tech softball beat No. 6 seed Texas 4–3 in last night’s Women’s College World Series (WCWS) final Game 2, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 tonight at 8 p.m. ET.

June 06, 2025

Texas and Texas Tech to meet in Women’s College World Series final

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And then there were two. The best-of-three Women’s College World Series (WCWS) championship series begins tonight at 8 p.m. ET, featuring last year’s runner-up, No. 6 seed Texas, vs. No. 12 Texas Tech, fresh off a stunning upset of the sport’s greatest dynasty. Let’s tee it up.

June 04, 2025

MLB investment in AUSL signals a new era in relations between men’s and women’s sports

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Yesterday, MLB announced a sizable strategic investment in Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), which hits off its inaugural season next week. It’s a major move to see MLB backing AUSL off the bat and represents a shift in how established men’s sports leagues are approaching startup women’s leagues.

May 30, 2025

AUSL kicks off a historic softball marketing campaign as ESPN expands its reach

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Yesterday, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) officially debuted its "This is Legendary" campaign ad, which the league describes as the largest marketing initiative for pro softball in the U.S. The star-studded spot will air across ESPN networks to promote the new league, which tips off June 7th.

March 26, 2025

Rebel Girls expands on AUSL partnership to reach Gen Alpha softball fans

Sports Business

Rebel Girls expands on AUSL partnership to reach Gen Alpha softball fans

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March 05, 2025

Today, Rebel Girls (RG) — an empowerment brand geared toward young girls — expanded on its existing partnership with Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), the pro women’s softball league beginning in June. RG hopes to connect tweens with the game by developing and distributing softball content through its new Rebel Girls Sport vertical.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #558

Spilling World Cup tea and talking tequila with Tobin Heath & Christen Press

May 21, 2026

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Spilling World Cup tea and talking tequila with Tobin Heath & Christen Press

The men’s FIFA World Cup is just three weeks away — which means it’s time to start studying up on the tournament’s biggest edition ever. Good thing USWNT legends Tobin Heath and Christen Press are today’s guests on The GIST of It, spilling the tea on their World Cup plans, the teams they’re most excited to cheer on, and their World Cup partnership with Don Julio 1942. Cheers to that.