Athletes Unlimited Pauses Volleyball for 2026 Season

The league is pausing to reimagine the next era of the sport.

Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball is pausing its 2026 season. / Athletes Unlimited

Athletes Unlimited announced on Friday afternoon that the league is putting a pause on its volleyball and basketball seasons for 2026. 

“As Athletes Unlimited continues to focus on the long-term growth of our leagues, we’ve made the decision to pause AU Pro Volleyball during the 2026 season”, a statement written on the league’s website said. 

“Volleyball has evolved tremendously in recent years, and we believe this is the right time to reimagine our product for the next era of the sport. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built together and the role AU has played in creating new opportunities for professional volleyball players. Thank you to our athletes, coaches, fans, partners, and staff who helped make AU Pro Volleyball possible. We look forward to what’s next.” 

An update on Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball. pic.twitter.com/IPuiYSQZgU

— AU Pro Volleyball (@AUProVolleyball) July 31, 2026

The innovative league that uses a unique individual scoring system, weekly player drafts, and no fixed city-based team rosters for most of its events has already taken losses in its six years of existence. Lacrosse was cut from the league in 2024 because international competition schedules and the availability of the sport’s best athletes during the summer months over the coming years made it impossible for AU to grow. 

Softball, the league’s most popular and successful sport, is set to be the entire focus for 2027. The sport stepped away from the individual scoring system in 2025. The second season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) just finished with an overall 150% increase in ratings for its games broadcast on ESPN. 

“The extraordinary success of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s second season marks an exciting new chapter for Athletes Unlimited,” a statement written on the league’s website said. 

“As we look ahead, we’re sharpening our focus on where we can create the greatest long-term impact for athletes, fans, and partners. As part of that strategy, we’ll pause AU Pro Volleyball during the 2026 season and AU Pro Basketball for the 2027 season while we thoughtfully reimagine the future of those properties to reflect the continued growth and evolution of both sports.”

With the two other professional volleyball leagues, League One Volleyball (LOVB) and Major League Volleyball (MLV), on the rise, and the international stage growing as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics near, overlaps in schedule potentially make it difficult for AU to grow, as the season has historically been a month long. 

Athletes Unlimited and LOVB even began supporting each other, as several athletes played for both leagues. 

your 2026 MLV Champions, the Dallas Pulse and Natalia Valentin-Anderson!

read more: https://t.co/JuyZtscq1b pic.twitter.com/VJLYD9XBIU

— AU Pro Volleyball (@AUProVolleyball) May 11, 2026

The last Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball Championship went to two-time Olympic medalist Jordan Thompson. She finished the 2025 season with 3,563 leaderboard points while leading as captain for three straight weeks. She also became the first player in AU history to surpass five matches with 20 or more kills in a single season.