Haslam Sports Group paid $205 million to bring the National Women's Soccer League's 18th team to Columbus, a franchise that will begin play in 2028. The expansion fee is a league record and 24% higher than the $165 million Atlanta committed in December.
The Columbus deal does two things. First, it marks the latest validation of NWSL expansion pricing, which has climbed from Bay FC's $53 million fee in 2023 to six-figure millions in under two years. Second, and more commercially relevant for existing owners, it triggers a ratchet provision in Atlanta's purchase agreement that guarantees the league will collect the full $165 million even if Columbus had come in lower. That clause was negotiated precisely to prevent downward pressure on valuations during the 2024-2028 expansion window.
Haslam Sports Group controls the NFL's Cleveland Browns and Pilot Company, the truck-stop chain that generates roughly $90 billion in annual revenue. The Columbus NWSL franchise will share market geography with the MLS Crew, which Haslam does not own but which provides evidence of soccer infrastructure in a metro area of 2.1 million people. The ownership group has not yet named a team president or disclosed stadium plans, though the Crew's Lower.com Field seats 20,000 and could serve as an initial venue.
The $205 million fee reflects what sponsors and media buyers are now pricing into NWSL rights: a league that will have 18 teams by 2028, plays in venues that average 11,000 fans per match as of 2024, and whose next media deal will be negotiated with expansion inventory already in hand. The current rights agreement with CBS, ESPN, and Amazon runs through 2027. The league's previous round of negotiations, completed in 2022, was worth roughly $60 million annually—low by major-league standards but 300% above the prior contract. The next cycle will be priced against a larger footprint and against MLS's $2.5 billion Apple deal as a reference point, even if women's soccer commands a significant discount.
For Haslam, the entry price is steep but brings exposure to a league whose franchise values have appreciated faster than any North American property outside of recent MLS adds. Angel City FC, which entered in 2022 at a $100 million expansion fee, was reportedly valued at over $200 million by mid-2024. Bay FC's $53 million fee in 2023 now looks discounted. The $205 million Columbus paid suggests the league has successfully conditioned buyers to expect upward pricing and limited future windows to enter.
The Columbus franchise has no announced kit sponsor, no stadium lease, and no coach. What it does have is 24 months before roster assembly begins and a market that supports MLS, an NHL club in the Blue Jackets, and Ohio State women's sports at scale. The Haslam group's track record in Cleveland—marked by front-office churn and mixed on-field results—will be tested in a league where early hires of technical staff and business operations matter more than in legacy men's properties.
The Atlanta franchise, expected to begin play in 2027, now enters with confirmed $165 million economics and a single-year head start on Columbus. That club has already named a technical director and begun market activations. Columbus, by contrast, will need to staff quickly to avoid losing sponsor mindshare to Atlanta and to Cincinnati's MLS operation.
The NWSL is holding at 18 teams after Columbus. Commissioner Jessica Berman has said publicly the league will pause expansion after this cycle to focus on competitive balance and operational scale. The next tranche of expansion fees, if reopened, will be priced against whatever media deal closes in 2027 and against the performance of these most recent entrants. For now, the $205 million Columbus paid sets the floor, not the ceiling.
The takeaway
Columbus's **$205M** NWSL fee locks Atlanta at **$165M** via ratchet clause and sets 2027 media deal negotiation baseline.
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