Professional Softball League Announces Three New Teams

The Professional Softball League is building on its first season of fastpitch competition by bringing together six independently-owned member teams for a 40-game season in 2027.

This year’s inaugural campaign featured five teams: the Atlanta Smoke, Florida Breeze, Florida Vibe, Kansas City Diamonds and New York Rise. The Breeze and Rise will not return in 2027, but the Smoke, Vibe and Diamonds will be back, joined by three expansion teams: the Birmingham Irons, St. Louis Gateway Gold and Knoxville Miracle. All six teams will be independently owned. The 2027 PSL season will feature a 40-game schedule, league standings, and the PSL Championship at the end of the summer.

Each team will continue to build its own identity, fan base, commercial partners and community relationships. Meanwhile, the PSL will provide shared standards and support in areas such as scheduling, media, marketing and league operations.

Expansion

Although the New York Rise and Florida Breeze will not be back, reports suggest that some players have already transitioned to the competing Athletes Unlimited Softball League, which officially began in 2025. The AUSL owns its own teams and has a strategic investment from Major League Baseball.

Meanwhile, two expansion teams — the Florida Heat and the Chattanooga Chill — have also been named, but both were also left off the official 2027 schedule. The former was originally set to be a participant or exhibition/travel-tour side in the inaugural 2026 season, but its official league debut was pushed back for “strategic reasons.”

The PSL launched as a way of combining seven previously independent softball teams from around the United States into one league. The PSL also has its own minor league called Professional Softball League Development, or PSLD, which enables player development and provides opportunities for call-ups to PSL teams.

Like the PSL, AUSL also has six teams: Chicago Bandits; Carolina Blaze; Portland Cascade; Oklahoma City Spark; Utah Talons; and Texas Volts.

Strategic Investment

Also confirmed this week, Community Sports Partners will join the PSL as a strategic ownership and operating partner, working alongside team owners and league leadership. The partnership will bring additional resources, professional sports experience and infrastructure to support the league’s continued growth. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“Owning the Kansas City Monarchs [a team in the American Association of Professional Baseball, an MLB-partner league] and seeing the Diamonds play in our stadium gave me a front-row seat to the community impact of professional softball,” said Quint Studer, chairman and CEO of Community Sports Partners. “The energy on the field and in the stands was electric. CSP exists to make people and places, and therefore communities, better. The PSL investment supports this mission. We are grateful to all of the team owners for the opportunity to be part of something this special.”

The new investment will enable the PSL’s member teams to develop their organizations, deepen their community connections, and build the professional game in their respective markets. This is particularly the case for new member teams joining the league.

“I’m excited about what the new investment means for the PSL and for the Knoxville Miracle,” said Eugene Blecker, founder of the Knoxville Miracle. “It gives us an opportunity to strengthen the league, support our players, and build a lasting connection with our community. I’ve spent my career helping athletes develop and reach their potential, and I’m proud to be part of creating more opportunities for women to compete professionally and inspire the next generation.”

“Birmingham and Alabama have a deep tradition of hard work, resilience, and passionate softball fans,” said Matt Kornegay, owner of the Birmingham Iron. “We’re proud to build the Birmingham Iron into a professional organization our community can call its own. With new investment and a committed group of team owners, the PSL is laying the groundwork for more women to pursue a career in professional softball. We’re excited to help build that future and represent Birmingham and Alabama along the way.”

“I was fortunate to experience playing at the highest level in St. Louis and have seen the opportunities the game can create,” said Kyle McClellan, the founder of the St. Louis Gateway Gold who pitched for six seasons in the major leagues. “I want female athletes to have that same opportunity to play in front of an incredible fan base, pursue a professional career, grow the game, and inspire the next generation. Helping build the Gateway Gold in St. Louis and the PSL is a chance to be part of making that future real.”

Further Expansion Plans Beyond 2027

Beyond the 2027 season, the PSL says that it will work to build a sustainable professional softball ecosystem that expands opportunities for women, strengthens teams’ relationships with their local communities, and creates a foundation for long-term growth.

It is unclear whether the inaugural 2026 season member teams that were removed from the 2027 schedule, or the planned expansion teams, will be integrated into the league by 2028.

Additional details on rosters, the schedule, venues, media plans, partnerships and player development opportunities are expected to be announced in due course.