Athletes Unlimited did "not plan to begin a new league amid a pandemic, nor did it anticipate its new league would be perfect for such a situation," but the first of its three new women’s professional sports leagues nonetheless "will begin in August with a six-week softball season outside Chicago," according to Talya Minsberg of the N.Y. TIMES. The games "will take place in one location, and the athletes will all live close to the competition site during the season." It is a model that some leagues, including the NBA, now are "planning or exploring as they seek to safely return to play." But Athletes Unlimited co-Founder & CEO Jon Patricof said that this was the organization’s "plan all along." Minsberg notes Patricof "envisioned Athletes Unlimited as a new model for professional sports leagues, one that emulated fantasy sports leagues and catered to fans with more of an affinity for individual athletes than teams." The model "prioritizes individual athleticism and in-house storytelling over the traditional infrastructure of team sports." Teams are "not tied to any one city, and players are not under contract with any one team." There are "no team owners, and league investors are capping their returns." Athletes "will share in the league profits, be involved in the daily decision making and call the shots in content creation" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/8).
