The Haslam family paid $205 million for NWSL expansion rights in Columbus, making it the league's fifteenth franchise and the most expensive women's soccer team ever transacted at entry. The deal closes three months after commissioner Jessica Berman publicly set $200 million as the floor for new markets.
Columbus will play starting in the 2026 season. The ownership group is led by the Haslams' investment vehicle, the same entity that controls the Cleveland Browns ($5.1 billion enterprise value) and holds minority stakes in the Milwaukee Bucks. The team will share Lower.com Field, the $315 million downtown stadium currently home to MLS's Columbus Crew, also majority-owned by the Haslams since 2018. Stadium economics now include 34 women's home dates across two leagues, improving utilization from 17 MLS matches per year.
The $205 million price exceeds the $185 million Charlotte paid for MLS expansion in 2019, the $200 million Sacramento committed for a 2023 MLS slot, and the $155 million San Diego paid for an NWSL franchise in 2023. It matches the NWSL's Boston expansion fee announced last month, confirming the league's pricing discipline after Angel City sold for $250 million in secondary market discussions in late 2023. Washington Spirit's $30 million sale in 2022 now looks three generations old.
The strategic logic runs through the Haslam family's existing infrastructure. The Crew's front office, ticketing CRM, and corporate partnership apparatus extend at near-zero marginal cost. Sponsorship inventory doubles for brands targeting Ohio's 11.8 million residents, a top-ten media market with no NBA or NHL competition for live event dollars. Dee Haslam, who co-chairs the family's sports holdings, has been visible in women's basketball circles since committing $10 million to a University of Tennessee athletics facility in 2021.
The timing suggests coordination with league-wide media negotiations. NWSL's current broadcast deals with CBS, ESPN, and Amazon expire after the 2027 season. Commissioner Berman has been shopping a package targeting $60 million to $80 million in annual rights fees, triple the current $27 million. Expansion into Columbus and Boston before media negotiations commence adds two top-fifteen DMAs to the footprint, pushing the league's aggregate media market reach above 120 million U.S. households.
The franchise enters a Midwest corridor the NWSL has struggled to lock. After folding teams in Boston, Rochester, and Baton Rouge in its first five years, the league now has Columbus, Chicago, and Kansas City as stable Midwest anchors. Cincinnati turned down a $150 million offer to host the league's fourteenth team in 2023, citing stadium availability conflicts. Columbus accepted similar constraints, suggesting the Haslams negotiated scheduling priority with MLS ahead of submitting the bid.
Corporate partnership velocity is immediate. The Crew announced $42 million in new sponsorship revenue between 2023 and 2024 after advancing to the MLS Cup final; half of those deals included clauses for a women's team if one materialized. Nationwide Insurance, headquartered 1.2 miles from the stadium, has been a Crew jersey sponsor since 2021 at $6.5 million annually. Kit and stadium naming extensions are in active negotiation.
Watch for front-office hires in the next 90 days, likely poached from Angel City, San Diego Wave, or the Spirit. The Haslams have used Cleveland Browns infrastructure for Crew operations since 2018, but NWSL scheduling, roster rules, and player acquisition timelines require dedicated personnel. The league's next expansion window opens for the 2028 season, with Cincinnati, Detroit, and Nashville all submitting interest forms as of December.
The $205 million entry fee flows directly to NWSL's existing fourteen owners as expansion capital. No stadium construction is required. No broadcast commitments beyond league minimum. The Haslams wrote a check, the league banked $14.6 million per existing franchise, and Columbus gets forty-eight hours to hire a general manager before the 2025 NWSL Draft filing deadline closes.