The officially NWSL announced on Tuesday morning that they have named Columbus, Ohio, as the next destination for their newest expansion club. It will be the 18th club to enter the NWSL, and will reportedly cost a $205 million expansion fee.
The Haslam Sports Group lead the ownership group along with the Columbus-based insurance company, Nationwide, and fellow Columbus Crew owners Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards. HSG also owns controlling stakes in the MLS’ Columbus Crew, the NFL’s Cleveland Browns
and the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.
“Our family is thrilled to help bring an NWSL team to Columbus and further invest in Ohio, with the honor of bringing the 18th team into the league,” said Haslam Sports Group Managing Partner Whitney Haslam Johnson in a statement. “We believe in the power of women’s sports and are humbled to be part of the number one women’s soccer league in the world. Sports are one of today’s greatest unifiers and are incredible for their communities. The NWSL will have a significant impact on Columbus within and beyond sports, now and for future generations.”
The new club is expected to begin play by the 2028 season, and will share ScottsMiracle-Gro field with the Columbus Crew.
“Columbus is very important to our family. For over 30 years, we’ve supported the Columbus Crew and MLS. We’ve seen how a men’s professional soccer team has brought people together and created a positive impact in our community,” said Dr. Christine Edwards, member of the Crew ownership group that helped keep the club alive in the city. “It’s truly special to now welcome an NWSL club and the incredible women athletes who will also uplift our city on and off the pitch.”
“As the NWSL continues its rapid growth, expanding to Columbus is a natural next step. This is a city with a rich soccer tradition, a proven track record of support at the highest level, and an ownership group making meaningful, long-term investments in women’s sports, said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman in a statement. “We’re excited to bring the world’s most competitive women’s soccer league to Columbus and to see this community embrace the game in a new way.”
The club was also required, according to Berman, to include plans for a training facility to be exclusively used by the club as part of their bid for the expansion franchise. The facility will be built on land previously designated for a local park, but the Columbus City Council instead approved $25 million to go toward the project for the new team’s facility.
The NWSL 17th expansion franchise in Atlanta, will be owned by Arthur Blank who also owns an NFL and MLS franchise in the Atlanta Falcons, and Atlanta United. That club sold for a reported $165 million expansion fee and is also expected to begin play in 2028.
