11 innings. That is how long the Chicago Bandits needed to survive Portland Cascade, winning 6-5 in the longest game in Athletes Unlimited Softball League history. Ailana Agbayani drove in the winning run with a single Thursday night, sending Chicago into a championship rematch with the defending champion Utah Talons beginning Saturday in College Station, Texas.
What People Are Searching For
The biggest question around the AUSL postseason has shifted quickly: who will play Utah for the championship, and when can fans watch the series? Chicago answered the first part by eliminating Portland 6-5 in the single-elimination play-in game.
The result sets up Bandits versus Talons, a repeat of the 2025 championship matchup. Utah swept that series, winning 3-1 in Game 1 and 1-0 in Game 2. This time, the championship is again a best-of-three series, with Game 1 scheduled for Saturday, July 25, at 1 p.m. ET on ABC.
That broadcast carries added significance. ESPN says Saturday's game will be the first professional softball game televised on a U.S. broadcast network. The 2026 AUSL season has averaged 198,000 viewers to date, up 183% compared with the same point last year, according to ESPN.
What Is Confirmed
Chicago is officially through to the championship series after Agbayani's 11th-inning single produced the deciding run in a 6-5 win. Utah had already secured a direct place in the final after finishing as the No. 1 seed.
The confirmed championship schedule is:
- Game 1: Bandits vs. Talons, Saturday, July 25, 1 p.m. ET on ABC.
- Game 2: Talons vs. Bandits, Sunday, July 26, 2 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- Game 3: Bandits vs. Talons, Monday, July 27, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2, if necessary.
All championship games are being played at Davis Diamond in College Station. ESPN Deportes will also carry championship coverage in Spanish.
Utah and Chicago both finished the regular season at 16-9, but the Talons earned the top seed through the head-to-head tiebreaker. Utah clinched that position with a 3-1 win over Chicago in the regular-season finale, when Georgina Corrick threw a complete game and allowed one run on two hits.
- Play-in game
- A single-elimination postseason game used to determine which team advances to the championship series.
- Best-of-three
- A series in which the first team to win two games becomes champion.
- ERA
- Earned run average, a pitching statistic measuring earned runs allowed over a standardized number of innings.
What Is Unconfirmed
The championship matchup is settled, but several competitive details cannot be known before Game 1. Neither provided source confirms which pitchers will start Saturday, how Utah will arrange its rotation, or whether Chicago's 11-inning play-in game will affect its pitching plans.
Utah does enter with strong documented pitching numbers. Corrick holds a league-leading 1.12 ERA through 37.2 innings, while Montana Fouts has a 2.36 ERA over a league-high 62.1 innings and leads the league with 63 strikeouts. Those figures explain why the Talons earned another championship opportunity, but they do not determine how the series will unfold.
Game 3 is also not guaranteed. It will only be played Monday if Chicago and Utah split the first two games.
The Bigger Picture
This championship is more than a rematch. Utah is trying to become the first team in AUSL history to win consecutive titles, while Chicago arrives after one of the strongest second-half surges in the league.
The Bandits recovered from an 0-4 start and at one point won nine consecutive games. They won 12 of their final 14 regular-season games, climbed into a tie for the league's best record and then survived Portland in an extra-inning elimination game.
For Utah, the path has been different. The Talons avoided the play-in round by securing the No. 1 seed, giving them a direct route to the championship. Their pitching has been central to that run: Corrick and Fouts combined to allow three runs, only two earned, with two walks and 14 strikeouts in Utah's final regular-season series against Chicago.
The television stage also expands the significance for U.S. viewers. ESPN plans 23 cameras for championship coverage, including three super-slow-motion cameras, a drone and a shallow-depth-of-field handheld camera. One player from each team is also scheduled to be mic'd live during games.
Latest Status
Chicago's 6-5 victory over Portland has finalized the 2026 AUSL Championship matchup: Bandits versus Talons. Game 1 begins Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on ABC, followed by Game 2 Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The next change will come on the field. A two-game sweep would end the series Sunday, while a split would force the deciding Game 3 Monday night on ESPN2.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the AUSL play-in game?
The Chicago Bandits defeated the Portland Cascade 6-5 in 11 innings. Ailana Agbayani delivered the game-winning run with a single in the 11th inning.
Who is playing in the 2026 AUSL Championship?
The Chicago Bandits will face the Utah Talons in a best-of-three championship series. It is a rematch of the 2025 final, which Utah won in two games.
When is AUSL Championship Game 1?
Game 1 is Saturday, July 25, at 1 p.m. ET at Davis Diamond in College Station, Texas. It will air on ABC and ESPN Deportes.
Why did Utah advance directly to the championship?
Utah earned the No. 1 seed after finishing 16-9 and winning the head-to-head tiebreaker over Chicago. That top seed gave the Talons a direct berth in the championship series.
Will there be a third AUSL Championship game?
Only if necessary. Game 3 is scheduled for Monday, July 27, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 if the teams split the first two games.
Why is the ABC broadcast significant?
ESPN says Game 1 will be the first professional softball game ever televised on a U.S. broadcast network. The league's 2026 season is averaging 198,000 viewers, up 183% from the same point last year.