Trailblazer Ng joins Athletes Unlimited as senior advisor for new softball league

4:46 PM UTC

Former Marlins GM Kim Ng, who made history in 2020 as the first woman to be general manager of a major American men's pro sports team, has been named a senior advisor for the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League.

Ng, who played softball at the University of Chicago, will oversee the development of the league ahead of its launch in 2025. She previously served as an MLB representative on the board for USA Softball to help grow the sport.

"I'm excited about this opportunity to be involved with Athletes Unlimited and the sport that I grew up playing, while helping to lead the AUSL as it prepares to launch,” Ng said in a news release. "Given its growth at the grassroots and collegiate levels in recent years, softball is poised for tremendous growth at the professional level, and I believe the AUSL is well positioned for success."

The AUSL will begin play with four teams competing in a 30-game season and will serve as a complement to the AU Pro Softball season to give the world's best softball players a new way to compete. The AUSL will start as a touring league and move to a traditional city-based league in 2026. The AU Pro Softball season will begin after the AUSL season and be renamed the AUSL Champions Cup for 2025. More details on the AUSL will be announced later.

Ng's career in baseball leadership has been vast. Before joining the Marlins, she also served as an executive for the Dodgers and Yankees, as well as an MLB senior vice president. Her first MLB job was an internship with the White Sox in 1990.

"Kim's groundbreaking accolades are truly unparalleled, and we are thrilled to welcome her back to the softball world and have her lead our team as we launch the AUSL," league CEO Jon Patricof said. "Her experience at the highest levels of professional sports will be critical as we develop every aspect of this new league."