American Softball Association Suspends League Operations

The American Softball Association (ASBA) announced Wednesday that it will suspend league operations in February.

The league, which was founded as an American professional softball alternative to National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), was based in Mobile, Ala. and consisted of four teams. The ASBA's inaugural season took place in 2018.

"Acting in the best interest of our players and the entire sport of softball has always been our top priority," a statement released by the league on social media states. "The ASBA was created as a model designed to prove concept, generate revenue and demonstrate that a self-reliant financial ecosystem is possible for a women's sports organization. We remain fully committed to our belief that this is possible; however, the company has been unable to attract sufficient investment capital to move forward."

The league's four teams possessed roughly 15 players each, who competed in a 26-game season throughout a six-week period during the summer.

In its farewell statement, the ASBA did not rule out the possibility of the league's revival in the future.

"ASBA will continue to assess our progress toward return-to-service milestones and make determinations about resuming the league accordingly," the statement continued. "However, we will only do that if we can ensure the delivery of a quality product."

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