New league attracts softball’s best, gives power to players

CHICAGO — Victoria Hayward would have been in Japan right about now, preparing for the Olympics as captain of Canada’s softball team.

The coronavirus pandemic pushed the Summer Games back a year. But she won’t have to wait too much longer to get back on the field.

Hayward is one of the 56 elite players signed to suit up when Athletes Unlimited launches the first of its professional women’s sports leagues in late August. The six-week season near Chicago is part of an innovative model made for the moment.

“It’s really about the best players in the world, getting together being able to showcase their abilities, work with people they don’t necessarily always work with,” said the 28-year-old Hayward, an outfielder. “I think as a fan, it’s going to be super fun to see some former adversaries getting to team up together. It’s great camaraderie. It’s high-energy. The stakes are high. Every game matters.”

All 30 games will be broadcast live, with 23 on ESPN and seven on the CBS Sports Network, and will be available in Canada and Latin America as well as the United States. Fans who tune in will see an impressive list of participants that includes top professionals and Olympic medalists such as Cat Osterman.

The game will look the same at least between the lines. But outside them? Things take a different turn.

Athletes Unlimited gives players a big say in decisions the league makes, whether it’s the uniform colors or TV deals. There are no team owners or general managers, and investors are limiting their returns. Players get to share in the profits, in addition to at least $10,000 guaranteed, plus bonus money.

“They’re amazing athletes,” said Jon Patricof, co-founder and CEO of Athletes Unlimited. “They have huge fan bases at the college level and that there’s really untapped opportunity. At the same time, we thought that if you’re going to launch a league of any sort, whether it’s a men’s or women’s sport, you really have to innovate and think differently about where fandom is heading. And out of that came our model.”

There will be no travel, with all games in suburban Rosemont. And forget about crowning a team champion. Instead, the title will go to the individual with the most points based on a fantasy-type system. A single, for example will be 10 points. A double will bring in 20 and a victory 50. Players can also lose points.

Team rosters will change each week, too: At the end of the week, the top four players by points become captains and draft teams.

Broadcasts will show standings in real time, and players and umpires will wear microphones during the game.

“A lot of what we’re trying to do is bring in onscreen graphics, miking up of players,” Patricof said. “(There are) great enhancements that are going to elevate the broadcast to a really strong level.”