Jessica Mendoza Narrates AUSL’s High-Energy Dynamic Campaign to Launch New League

The AUSL (Athletes Unlimited Softball League) today debuted 'This is Legendary' – the largest marketing campaign in the history of professional softball in the U.S. – to promote the launch of the new league, which begins with Opening Day on Saturday, June 7.

Narrated by AUSL advisor and softball legend Jessica Mendoza and created in partnership with Chicago-based Dame Creative, 'This is Legendary' features eight current AUSL athletes, two players from each of the AUSL’s four teams (Maya Brady and Montana Fouts of the Talons, Sis Bates and Amanda Lorenz of the Volts, Skylar Wallace and Odicci Alexander of the Bandits, and Aliyah Andrews and Aleshia Ocasio of the Blaze) as well as two of Mendoza’s fellow legends and AUSL advisors, Natasha Watley and Volts general manager Cat Osterman. The spot will debut this morning on ESPN, while multiple versions will run throughout the spring and summer across ESPN networks as well as in AUSL markets and digital media nationwide.

Designed as an elevated, high-energy hype piece, the spot uses a modern, kinetic mixed-media approach with multiple cameras to capture the league’s intensity. To bring this vision to life, the AUSL partnered with Dame Creative, DK Films and female director Quinn Murphy.

Inspired by the dreams of athletes who longed to play in the "big leagues" – a space that did not exist for softball at this scale until now – the campaign showcases the AUSL’s diverse, dynamic pro athletes and the legends behind the sport, making it clear why the AUSL will be “legendary” from day one. As Mendoza’s narration declares:

The next legendary big league is here. Built by legends of the game to be unlike any other. Athletes Unlimited Softball League. Unlimited Potential. Unlimited impact. Where we’re all one team, even when we’re rivals. A league that will be legendary, from the moment it launches.

The AUSL will also go on a month-long pre-season tour, visiting the cities where games will be played this summer. The THIS IS LEGENDARY PRESEASON TOUR presented by U.S. Air Force, kicking off this week in Tuscaloosa and Omaha, will bring players to professional and college sporting events and other community activities in each market, building support for the new league.

The AUSL’s four teams – the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts– will play 24 games each between June 7 and July 23, culminating with the top two teams competing in the AUSL Championship, a best-of-three series to be held July 26-28 at the University of Alabama’s Rhoads Stadium. Following the AUSL Championship, 60 players will compete for an individual championship in the AUSL All-Star Cup, a 24-game competition in August featuring the innovative Athletes Unlimited scoring system.

The full AUSL game schedule can be found here. Single game tickets are now available here. More information, including team rosters and the regular season schedule broken down by team can be found at theAUSL.com.

ESPN has signed on as a founding broadcast partner of the AUSL, and will carry 33 total games exclusively across platforms in 2025, with 30 of them to air on linear television. Additional broadcast partners and other details will be announced at a later date.

“The enthusiasm and anticipation we have seen for the AUSL – from athletes, fans, cities, business partners and everyone else involved – has validated our belief that softball’s time is now,” said Allie Kleva, chief growth officer, Athletes Unlimited. “The creative concept behind the ‘This is Legendary’ campaign is dynamic, cinematic, and high-energy. It highlights both legends and current players, paying tribute to those who paved the way for the sport while showcasing the elite talent that defines this league, declaring this moment for softball.”

“We wanted to create a campaign that captured the energy of not just the athletes and the game, but this moment for pro softball and women’s sports,” said Susan Betteridge, CCO and partner of Dame Creative. “‘This Is Legendary’ is rooted in the idea that legends are forged from long hours and legends who have come before. To capture the excitement of the AUSL launch, we harnessed the long-standing passion for softball within a modern, kinetic film to celebrate this moment and this unparalleled league.”