AUSL Championship Week has arrived.

The defending champion Utah Talons earned the No. 1 seed after defeating the Chicago Bandits, 3-1, in Sunday’s regular-season finale, clinching the top seed by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker after both teams finished 16-9.

Chicago will face the Portland Cascade in Thursday night’s Play-In Game after Portland clinched the final postseason berth Tuesday morning.

The winner advances to face Utah in the best-of-three AUSL Championship Series in College Station.

The 2026 AUSL season – the league’s second season and first with six teams competing in permanent home markets – culminates this weekend at Texas A&M’s Davis Diamond in College Station, Texas.

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CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK SCHEDULE

• Thursday, July 23: Play-In Game: No. 2 Chicago Bandits vs. Portland Cascade (9:00pmET on ESPN)

• Saturday, July 25: AUSL Championship Game 1: Play-In Winner vs. Utah Talons (1:00pmET on ABC)

• Sunday, July 26: AUSL Championship Game 2:
  • Play-In Winner vs. Utah Talons (2:00pmET on ESPN)

• Monday, July 27 (if necessary): AUSL Championship Game 3:
  • Play-In Winner vs. Utah Talons (7:00pmET on ESPN2)

Championship Week will also feature:

• the league’s inaugural awards reception,
• major fan activations from partners including adidas and Sephora,
• and Game 1 of the AUSL Championship Series on ABC (Saturday, 1:00 pm EST) making it the first professional softball game EVER on broadcast television.

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WHAT’S AT STAKE

Utah Talons: Chasing the league’s first repeat title
The defending champions earned another direct trip to the Championship Series. Two more wins would make Utah the first back-to-back champion in AUSL history.

Lisa Fernandez: Another chapter for one of softball’s greatest winners
Already one of the most decorated players in softball history, Fernandez now has the opportunity to guide the Talons to consecutive championships as General Manager, further adding to one of the sport’s most accomplished résumés.

Chicago Bandits: Restoring a championship tradition
The Bandits return to Championship Week one year after falling just short in the finals. A title would not only deliver the franchise’s first AUSL championship but also reconnect one of softball’s most recognizable brands with the championship pedigree established during its previous iteration.

Hannah Flippen: A chance to bring a championship home
Few players are more closely identified with Utah softball than Hannah Flippen. After starring for the University of Utah, she now has the opportunity to help deliver a professional championship to the state she has long called home.

Portland Cascade: Turning momentum into history
In just one season, the Cascade have helped establish Portland as one of the AUSL’s strongest markets, consistently drawing sellout crowds and quickly building one of the league’s most engaged fan bases. Now, after clinching the final playoff berth, they have an opportunity to carry that momentum into a championship run.

Professional Softball: A milestone moment for the sport
Saturday’s Championship opener on ABC marks the first professional softball game ever broadcast on network television, presenting an unprecedented opportunity to introduce the sport to a broad mainstream audience.

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FINAL WEEKEND NOTEBOOK

Georgina Corrick delivered when it mattered most.
With the No. 1 seed on the line, Corrick tossed a complete game, allowing just two hits while leading Utah past Chicago to clinch a direct berth into the Championship Series.

Jordan Woolery came through in the biggest moment.
Woolery’s sixth-inning squeeze bunt broke a 1-1 tie and proved to be the decisive run in Sunday’s winner-take-all matchup for the No. 1 seed.

Chicago still arrives with plenty of momentum.
Despite Sunday’s loss, the Bandits won 12 of their previous 13 games to climb from below .500 into a tie for the league’s best record before settling for the No. 2 seed on the tiebreaker.

Megan Grant enters Championship Week with history already made.
After breaking the NCAA single-season home run record earlier this year, Grant finished her rookie AUSL season with 10 home runs, one shy of the AUSL single-season record. If Portland can advance through Thursday’s Play-In Game, one of softball’s brightest young stars will have an opportunity to perform on the sport’s biggest stage yet during the nationally televised Championship Series.

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OFF THE FIELD

adidas: “This Is Legendary”
adidas will debut its largest AUSL activation to date at the AUSL Championship, featuring custom poster creation, the “Game Face On” station with eye black and temporary tattoos, the Game Face Cam, interactive softball art installations and fan giveaways throughout Championship Weekend.

Sephora Brings AUSL to Times Square
As part of Championship Week, Sephora will run an AUSL Championship tune-in campaign on its iconic Times Square billboard, giving the league one of its most visible consumer marketing moments to date. Sephora will also bring its popular Braid Bar activation to Davis Diamond throughout the weekend.

AUSL Awards Reception
The league’s inaugural Awards Reception will be held Friday evening in Texas, on the eve of the AUSL Championship. Hosted by Amanda Scarborough, the event will reveal the season’s top performers, including Hitter of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, the AUSL Impact Award and the inaugural All-AUSL Team.

FEATURED STORIES FROM THEAUSL.COM

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WHAT’S TRENDING ON SOCIAL

• Jayda Coleman Crazy Grab
• TV Tori Vidales makes the play
• Syd Romero surprises Sierra Romero for retirement
• Karlyn Pickens breaking bats & records
• Maya Brady breaks AUSL home run record 

BY THE NUMBERS

• 11 – home runs by Maya Brady, a new AUSL single-season record
• 14 – SportsCenter Top Ten Plays
• 20 – regular-season sellouts
• 25 – one-run games during the regular season
• 63 – strikeouts by Montana Fouts, a new AUSL single-season record