The Haslam Sports Group paid $205 million for an NWSL expansion franchise in Columbus, the highest entry fee in league history and nearly double the $110 million Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC paid five months ago.
The franchise begins play in 2026 at Lower.com Field, the 20,000-seat downtown stadium currently occupied by Columbus Crew. Haslam Sports Group—whose portfolio includes the NFL's Cleveland Browns and a minority stake in the Milwaukee Bucks—will operate the team through a joint venture with a local ownership consortium that has not yet been named. The NWSL now sits at 15 teams. Commissioner Jessica Berman said publicly in November the league plans to reach 16 teams by 2026, leaving one expansion slot open.
The $205 million figure matters because it resets the floor. When Bay FC entered for $53 million in 2023, that felt rich. Boston and Denver's $110 million checks in August 2024 felt like outliers driven by hot markets and overleveraged bid processes. Columbus—a Midwest market with strong soccer infrastructure but no coastal media premium—just paid 86% more. The implied message to the next bidder: if Columbus is worth $205 million, your market is worth more.
Sponsor dollars follow these signals. The NWSL's current media rights deal with CBS, ESPN, and Prime Video runs through 2027 and pays the league roughly $60 million annually—approximately $4 million per team if divided evenly. Compare that to MLS, where the Apple deal delivers roughly $12.5 million per team annually before local add-ons. The valuation gap narrows when you price in scarcity: the NWSL is the only top-division women's soccer league in the U.S., and the next expansion cycle may not come until 2028. Haslam Sports Group is betting that sponsors, broadcasters, and eventually a streaming platform will pay materially more for that exclusivity by the time the Columbus franchise kicks off.
The Haslams also get infrastructure leverage. Lower.com Field opened in 2021 at a cost of $314 million, funded by public-private partnership. The stadium already hosts 17 Columbus Crew MLS home games per season. Adding 12 NWSL home dates—plus potential playoff games—improves utilization without new capital outlay. The naming rights deal with Lower, a mortgage fintech, runs through 2031 and pays an undisclosed annual fee believed to be in the mid-seven figures. Incremental NWSL inventory could justify a naming rights bump at renewal or attract a second sleeve sponsor.
The Haslams declined to specify how much of the $205 million fee will be paid upfront versus amortized, but NWSL expansion fees are typically structured as 60% cash at closing with the remainder over 24 months. That implies roughly $123 million due this quarter. The league splits expansion fees equally among existing teams, meaning each of the 14 current franchises will receive approximately $14.6 million—a material cash event for teams still operating at or near breakeven.
CBS, ESPN, and Amazon executives will watch Columbus attendance in 2026. If the Haslams can consistently draw 12,000-plus to Lower.com Field, it validates the broadcast thesis that women's soccer can sustain double-digit teams in non-coastal markets. If turnout sags, the next media negotiation tilts back toward a coastal-concentration model.
NWSL Commissioner Berman is expected to name the 16th expansion franchise by June 2025. Nashville and Philadelphia have been mentioned in board discussions. The Columbus deal suggests any serious bid now starts at $220 million.
The takeaway
Columbus paid **$205M** for NWSL entry, resetting the league's expansion floor and unlocking **$14.6M** per team in distribution.
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