The NWSL team headed to Columbus, Ohio, will have a place to call its own, with the club breaking ground on a 45,000-square-foot training facility Tuesday, Oct. 27.
While the club will play its home matches at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, the downtown home of MLS's Columbus Crew, it will train and have its headquarters at the OhioHealth Training Grounds.
"This facility will set a new global standard across women’s sports that reflects our Club's goals of consistently investing in and elevating female athletes, competing on the pitch, creating special memories for our fans and showcasing Columbus on an international stage,” Whitney Haslam Johnson, managing partner of Haslam Sports Group, said in a news release.
The idea, according to the club, is for
owners HSG, Nationwide and the Edwards family to create "an environment that will attract and maximize the performance and personal health of elite female athletes while best positioning the team for long-term talent development opportunities in women’s soccer and sport."
When will Columbus' NWSL team begin play?
In addition to a locker room with amenities specific to female athletes, plans call for the facility to have a family and mothers room for child care, a social media room where first-team players can produce content for their channels, and also will have space for academy and developmental teams.
It will open ahead of Columbus beginning play in the 2028 season.
“The investment we're seeing in Columbus reflects exactly where the NWSL is headed and the standard we're setting for the future of women's professional sports,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said in the news release. “World-class players deserve world-class facilities, and the OhioHealth Training Grounds represents a meaningful commitment to giving our athletes the resources and environment they need to thrive."
Beyond the MLS and NWSL teams, Columbus also is preparing to serve as the site of nine matches of the 2028 Olympic soccer tournament. Seven men's matches and two women's games will take place in Columbus between July 10, 2028 and July 20, 2028 when Columbus will host a men's quarterfinal.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Columbus breaks ground on 45,000-square-foot NWSL training facility ahead of 2028 team launch
