2026 Open Division – Spring Season Changes – Dec 8, 2025
We recently held our 2026 Planning Session, and the board has agreed that Softball Austin will move to a Player Fee Only structure across all divisions starting with our 2026 Spring Season. This means that team fees will no longer be collected by Softball Austin. We recognize that this is a significant change after more than 20 years of operating under our current model, and we felt it was important to notify all active 2025 members as early as possible so there are no surprises.
For 2026, all Open Division players will pay $90 for the regular season ($45 for non-players).
For teams with sponsors or those that fundraise and maintain a team account traditionally used to pay team fees, this change creates an opportunity for those funds to now go directly from team to player. For teams that have historically collected money from players to cover team fees, this update eliminates the need to do so.
Please note that the End of Season Tournament will continue following the fee structure outlined in the Instruments of Governance (IOG): half of the World Series hotel deposit, refunded to teams that do not win a bid. League World Series bid allocation will not be determined until registration closes and team totals are confirmed.
The Player Fee Only structure is standard across most local sports leagues and widely used by iPride leagues nationwide. We believe this change will not only bring operational efficiencies but will also make it easier to create free agent teams—something that has been repeatedly requested in both board meetings and Managers’ Council Meetings this year.
We have submitted our 2026 Field Requests to the city and will share details once dates are confirmed. As noted at the last MCM, registration for the 2026 Spring Season will open no later than January 1, 2026. Additional information regarding team registration will be provided beforehand. The 2026 Player Registration Deadlines will be posted once Week 1 is confirmed by the city, though we anticipate registration closing in early February.