Haslam Sports Group closed a $205 million expansion deal to bring the National Women's Soccer League's 18th franchise to Columbus, Ohio, according to a person familiar with the transaction. The fee is the highest in women's professional sports history and 24% above the $165 million Atlanta paid in January. Play begins in 2028.
The timing matters beyond Columbus. Haslam's price floor protects Atlanta's valuation and establishes the league's next expansion round at a minimum $205 million entry point. Five weeks ago, Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC kicked off as teams 15 and 16. Columbus becomes 18, with Atlanta following in 2027. The league has not announced team 17, but three ownership groups are in advanced discussions, according to two people with knowledge of the process. Each now knows the floor.
Haslam Sports Group owns the Cleveland Browns (NFL), Columbus Crew (MLS), and recently acquired part of the Milwaukee Bucks (NBA). The Browns cost the family $1 billion in 2012; the Crew, $150 million in 2018. Columbus NWSL carries no stadium debt—the group will use the Crew's $315 million Lower.com Field, which seats 20,011. The Crew averaged 20,609 last season. NWSL attendance averaged 11,250 across 14 teams in 2025. Kansas City and Portland both cleared 16,000.
The Haslam price point also clarifies sponsor math. The NWSL's current naming-rights deal with Ally Financial runs through 2027 at approximately $3 million annually, per industry estimates. Title sponsors in MLS average $7 million to $12 million. Expansion fees rising 68% in five months—from Atlanta's $122 million original commitment in late 2024 to Haslam's $205 million—will pressure commissioner Jessica Berman to reprice league-wide inventory before the 2028 media rights negotiation. CBS Sports, ESPN, and Amazon hold current rights through 2027 in a deal estimated near $240 million over four years. The next cycle begins at $600 million, according to a media executive briefed on early conversations.
Columbus also carries geographic signaling. The city ranks 32nd in U.S. metro population but sits 90 minutes from Cleveland, 110 minutes from Pittsburgh, and 115 minutes from Indianapolis. Haslam is betting on a regional catchment, not a local one. The Crew tested this model with season-ticket holders: 14% live outside Franklin County. NWSL's Boston and Denver franchises are both building subscriber models that assume 20%-25% of revenue comes from outside the home metro. Columbus will test that assumption with a built-in advantage—Haslam already owns the customer database.
Meanwhile, the league's valuation reset affects existing owners. The 14 charter and early-expansion teams paid entry fees ranging from zero (the original clubs) to $35 million (Racing Louisville, 2021). Angel City FC and San Diego Wave each paid $2 million as late entrants under legacy pricing in 2020. Both are now valued north of $250 million in private secondary trades, according to a family office that reviewed San Diego tape last fall. Haslam's $205 million establishes the clearing price for any owner considering an exit. Worth noting: two current NWSL franchises are quietly exploring minority sales at valuations near $180 million, per a banker working both processes.
The fee structure also clarifies Atlanta's position. That club committed $165 million in January but structured part of the payment as deferred. Haslam's deal ensures Atlanta's total clears at full value because the league now has pricing power to enforce it. Atlanta owner Michael Blank declined to comment on payment terms, but league rules require 50% of expansion fees paid at closing and the balance within 18 months. Haslam's close gives the NWSL approximately $780 million in expansion capital since 2024—more than the league's total team valuations as recently as 2022.
Haslam Sports Group is finalizing stadium naming rights, jersey sponsors, and a technical partnership. The Crew's kit deal with Adidas runs through 2028 and includes an NWSL option clause, according to a person who reviewed the contract. That structure would allow the women's team to activate Adidas at pre-negotiated economics—likely $1.5 million to $2.5 million annually based on comparable deals at Racing Louisville and the North Carolina Courage. Liga MX and MLS teams now routinely pair their women's and men's kits under joint deals. Haslam will test whether that model works when both teams share a stadium and an owner but play in different leagues.
The franchise announcement included no general manager, no head coach, and no name. Haslam Sports Group president Dave Jenkins will oversee the build. He joined from the Browns in 2023 and led the Crew's stadium financing. The women's team will operate as a separate entity under the Haslam umbrella but share business operations with the Crew, including ticketing, sponsorship, and content production. That operating structure mirrors what the Washington Spirit built with the Nationals' stadium before moving to Audi Field.
Columbus begins hiring in Q3 2026. The front office will be 12 to 15 people at launch, per a source familiar with staffing models. Kansas City started with 18; Portland, 22. The Crew currently employs 110 full-time staffers. Shared services will keep Columbus NWSL lean, but the league requires each team to operate independently on soccer decisions, medical staff, and player development. Jenkins will name a president by September.
The next expansion window opens in 2029. The league is targeting 20 teams by 2030 and has received inquiries from Philadelphia, Tampa, and a second Los Angeles group. The floor is $205 million. Philadelphia submitted a preliminary bid last year at $140 million. That number is now obsolete.
The takeaway
Haslam's **$205M** entry resets NWSL expansion pricing, protects Atlanta's **$165M** deal, and forces next bidders above **$200M**.
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