Professional softball is in full swing, no pun intended, but the organization getting ready to disrupt the landscape has not signed a single player yet.
Luckily, the coaching staff is in place.
The Knoxville Miracle will play its inaugural season in 2027, but it isn’t part of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). Craig Snider and Stephanie Sanders were introduced on June 10 as the co-head coaches of the newest Professional Softball League (PSL) expansion team.
What makes the Miracle different from teams in the AUSL?
The East Tennessee-based organization will employ its players and coaches full-time, year-round. The AUSL owns all of the teams and employs the front offices, coaches and athletes.
The type of employment model the Miracle is introducing is unheard of in professional softball. The majority of the AUSL and some PSL players coach for nine months out of the year to offset the cost of living. Even the pro coaches are full-time employees of universities.
Professional Softball just doesn’t offer enough of a salary for most of its employees to live life right now.
“We haven’t seen anything like this in our sport,” said Snider during his introductory press conference. “You show up for a couple of months, and you’re back to another job. Now that’s not the case. There’s never been a full-time professional softball coach. We get to be the first to do that, which I think is incredibly exciting, but also paves the way for others.”
Snider and Sanders, who are married, mutually parted ways with the Tennessee Lady Vols softball program to pursue this opportunity.
“If you can see her, you could be her,” Sanders told WATE’s Sam Rothman. “How cool is it for young athletes to see what they want to be. I could have never imagined a young Stephanie being able to work with professional athletes in the capacity young athletes will be able to do here. You can’t ask for anything more. You’re learning from the best. It’s a real unique opportunity.”
AUSL or PSL? Is there a difference?
As I mentioned above, the business models of the two leagues are very different.
The AUSL teams are owned by the league. The players, coaches and front offices for each team are employed by the league. As for the PSL, each team is independently owned and operated.
The AUSL has a strategic investment from Major League Baseball that helps the visibility of the league through “MLB’s marketing, events, distribution, editorial, digital and social platforms, content and more, including select AUSL games airing on MLB Network and MLB.com.”
The league also has a broadcast deal with ESPN. However, the lack of transparency has become infuriating for fans and journalists.
The PSL has entered the chat with free streaming courtesy of the All Women’s Sports Network, and promoting its attendance numbers through the first two weeks of the season.
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Who plays in the AUSL?
There are currently six teams in the AUSL:
Utah Talons
Carolina Blaze
Portland Cascade
Oklahoma City Spark
Chicago Bandits
Texas Volts
Who plays in the PSL?
There are currently six teams in the PSL:
Atlanta Smoke
Florida Vibe
Kansas City Diamonds
Florida Breeze
Chattanooga Chill
New York Rise
In 2027, the Miracle will join the league, along with another expansion team, the Florida Heat. More expansion teams expected to be announced, according to a source familiar with the league.
This week in softball
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NCAA Division III institution relaunches softball program ahead of 2026-27 academic year
Legendary Chattanooga softball coach announces retirement after 25 seasons
LSU Softball star hops in and out of the transfer portal, releases statement
Canada, Chinese Taipei advance to WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Final
Former Oklahoma, Auburn pitcher reportedly transfers to Texas State
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