ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck (11) reacts after the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images The College Football Playoff title game put the University of Miami on the big stage when the No. 10-ranked team faced off against the No.1 undefeated Indiana Hoosiers at Hard Rock Sta

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti looks on in the fourth quarter against the Miami Hurricanes during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti made history on Monday night when he took the Hoosiers to the first 16-0 season in college football in 132

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Credit: AUSL Bandits After a successful inaugural season that toured cities around the country, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) finally announced the host cities and venues for its teams beginning in the 2026 season. AUSL Cities Carolina Blaze – Duke University Softball Stadium in Durham, North Carolina Chicago Bandits – The Stadium at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont Oklahoma City Spark – Tom Heath Field at Okla

Former Illinois softball player Kelly Ryono recently spoke about her life as a firefighter. | Illinois Athletics Former Illinois softball outfielder Kelly Ryono has taken every skill she’s learned on the field and now translates it into saving lives. After five successful seasons repping Blue and Orange, the Huntington Beach, Calif., native has chased her dreams of becoming a firefighter. Instead of going back home after graduating, Ryono chose to stay in Urbana-Champaign, a

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI July 22, 2025; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Former University of Alabama star pitcher Montana Fouts returned to Rhoads Stadium for the first time as a professional, pitching for the Talons of the Athletes United Softball League as they played the Volts. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images While big news continued to come out of Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings, Athletes Unlimited Softball League ace Montana Fouts and catch

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Credit: Florida Vibe While the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) has made waves over the last year, creating a new opportunity for the world’s best professional softball players to compete, a new league is looking to do the same. On Wednesday, the Professional Softball League (PSL) officially launched, combining seven previously independent softball teams from around the country into one league. Each team will have a roster of 20

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Credit: AUSL Alyssa Denham thought her career was over. After debuting with Athletes Unlimited in 2021, the former Arizona ace pitched her way through five seasons, including two Athletes Unlimited X (AUX) competitions in 2022 and 2024. Denham made 41 appearances, including 24 starts, with a 2.38 ERA, a 15-3 record, and 73 strikeouts. She became the first player in AU Pro Softball history to earn medalist honors in back-to-back years, fi

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Former Oklahoma City Spark star Jocelyn Alo will be joining the AUSL and is eligible for the Allocation Draft. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK The home run queen has returned to Athletes Unlimited. Following an incredible inaugural season in 2025, which drew sold-out crowds, record viewership, and propelled professional softball to another level, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) announced an expansion, whic

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Britney Spears’ Niece Signs with Southern Miss Softball The talent runs deep in the Spears family. Maddie Watson, the niece of pop icon Britney Spears and daughter of actress Jamie Lynn Spears, recently committed to the University of Southern Mississippi softball program. Yes, the baby that Jamie Lynn had shortly after the hit Nickelodeon show Zoey 101 ended? She’s old enough to be going to college. The 17-year-old outfielder has been a s

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Megan Grant is a two-time All-American for the UCLA softball team and is playing basketball for the Bruins this year. | UCLA Athletics Megan Grant, the two-time All-American softball player with the UCLA Bruins, has traded her cleats for sneakers this offseason and has become a force with Westwood’s women’s basketball team. In the Bruins’ fourth game of the season, Grant was finally able to showcase her talent and score her first-ever col

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Credit: South Carolina Athletics On National Signing Day, softball players across the country took to social media to announce their commitments and express their love for the game and their chosen school. One pitcher, though, was openly candid on social media about the process of commitment being far from easy. Hannah Wulf proudly inked her name with South Carolina on Wednesday, but wants younger players to know that the path isn’t always

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady (24) celebrates in the first inning of the Women's College World Series softball game between the Texas Tech Raiders and the Oklahoma Sooners at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Monday, June, 2, 2025. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Texas Tech Red Raiders certainly shocked the nation when they pulled some of the biggest names in the game out of the transfer portal this offseason

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI ESPN personality Pat McAfee talks during College GameDay as Nick Saban looks on. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images When NiJaree Canady entered the transfer portal after leading Stanford to back-to-back Women’s College World Series (WCWS) appearances, it was inevitable that her phone was going to blow up. The 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, who owned a 0.67 ERA with 555 strikeouts across

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI The AUSL Bandits will play in Chicago, according to a social media post from GM Jenny Dalton-Hill. | AUSL Bandits After the inaugural season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) concluded with 24 games touring 10 different cities, the major question has been, where will the four current teams, the Bandits, Blaze, Talons, and Volts, stay permanently? In an Instagram post recapping the historic summer, the general manager of the

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Oklahoma State head softball coach Kenny Gajewski knew his team needed a reset after missing the Women's College World Series in 2025. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images For the first time since 2018, the Oklahoma State Cowgirls did not make a trip to Oklahoma City in 2025. When head coach Kenny Gajewski was confronted on the issue and poor performance by the team, he pointed to himself. In Softball America’s

Credit: New Mexico State Athletics ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI After 22 seasons with New Mexico softball, Kathy Rodolph, the university's longest-tenured active coach, will no longer be continuing in her position as head coach. Announced in a press release, the athletic department is calling it a “coaching transition”. Associate head coach Cat Heifner will also be moving on from her role, and assistant coach Benet Higgs will serve as the Aggies’ interim head coach f

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Oklahoma catcher Isabela Emerling, left, and pitcher Sam Landry, right, talk during an NCAA softball game between the Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers at Love's Field in Norman, Okla., Friday, March 28, 2025. | NATE BILLINGS/FOR THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) held its Annual Salute on Wednesday, bringing together top athletes, coaches, business leaders, sports l

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI George and Lena Springer. | Lena Springer, X Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer came in clutch once again in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series when he launched a go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to earn the team a spot in the World Series for the first time since 1993. While fans and analysts across Major League Baseball have praised his performance, one family member has been his biggest

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI Michele Smith came out of retirement to pitch for the Florida Vibe. | Fastpitch United The Florida Gators officially kicked off their fall softball season with a slate of exhibition games. One standout matchup on their schedule put the college players on a higher stage, as they faced the Florida Vibe, a professional softball team within the Fastpitch United League. What the Gators and fans might not have expected, though, was that a forme

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI West Virginia baseball field at Kendrick Family Ballpark. | WVU Athletics In an effort to advance the future opportunity and the success of West Virginia University’s athletics, Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker announced on Thursday that 140 athletic scholarships will be added for the 2026-27 season. Currently sitting at 260 athletic scholarships, the school will rise to 400 across its 18 varsity sports. In addition to