Overview
- The Spark and Cascade join the Talons, Bandits, Blaze and Volts to form a six-team AUSL for the 2026 season.
- Oklahoma City is the first confirmed home market, with Spark leadership retained: Tina Floyd as executive director, Destinee McElroy as COO, Amber Flores as head coach and Kirk Walker as general manager.
- The AUSL Draft airs live on ESPNU on Monday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. ET, beginning with an Expansion Draft followed by an Allocation Draft.
- Original teams will protect five players to start; expansion clubs alternate picks via a coin toss and snake order, may select six to eight players, and can take no more than three from any one original team within the first 10 selections.
- Spark player contracts from 2025 have expired, so the team will assemble a new roster through the draft process, with Opening Day rosters set at 15 to 16 players and the expansion framed by Commissioner Kim Ng as boosting repetitions ahead of the 2028 Olympics.