The National Women's Soccer League awarded its 18th franchise to the Haslam family for $205 million, more than double the previous expansion record and the clearest signal yet that institutional capital views women's professional soccer as a balance-sheet asset, not a brand exercise. The Columbus team begins play in 2026. Dee and Jimmy Haslam, who control the Cleveland Browns and hold a stake in the Milwaukee Bucks, become the first NFL ownership group to enter the NWSL since the league restructured governance in 2021.
The fee eclipses the $113 million Cincinnati paid in 2024 and represents a 181 percent premium over that recent baseline. Columbus had been the NWSL's most obvious white space since the Columbus Crew demonstrated that Ohio's capital could support multiple professional teams drawing distinct demos. The Haslams will play at the Crew's Lower.com Field, a 20,000-seat venue that opened in 2021 and already hosts international friendlies. The NWSL has not disclosed revenue-sharing terms, but the league keeps 100 percent of central media rights, unlike MLS, which splits broadcast revenue with individual clubs.
The Haslam bid carries two implications. First, the $205 million number resets the valuation floor for existing franchises. Angel City FC, valued at roughly $180 million in secondary transactions last year, now appears under-marked. Portland, racing toward a new waterfront stadium, and Washington, fresh off its Sixth Street investment, can point to Columbus when sizing future capital raises. Second, the NWSL now has an ownership test case for whether NFL operators can import front-office rigor without imposing NFL-style control. Jimmy Haslam runs the Browns with a hands-on reputation; whether that translates to meddling or accountability in a league with $100 million total payroll depends on who he hires as president.
Columbus also solves a scheduling problem. The NWSL plays a 26-game regular season, and an 18-team league delivers clean home-and-away balance without the complex interconference formats that plague MLS. The league has committed to 20 teams by 2028, with Nashville and a second Bay Area franchise the reported front-runners. The Haslams' willingness to pay $205 million for a market smaller than Nashville or San Jose suggests those fees will start at $225 million, if not higher. The league takes 10 percent of expansion fees as a central-office allocation; the remaining 90 percent flows to existing owners as a one-time distribution, meaning Portland, Orlando, and Kansas City each net roughly $10.8 million from this deal alone.
What to watch: Columbus will name a team president within 90 days, and that hire indicates whether the Haslams import Browns executives or recruit from the NWSL's existing operator pool. Kit sponsor and front-of-shirt deals typically close 12 to 18 months before inaugural kickoff, so expect Columbus to enter the market by late summer. The league's next media-rights negotiation opens in 2026, and every incremental team increases the NWSL's game inventory, which is the primary input for streaming bidders. Nashville's expansion timeline will clarify whether the league can absorb two teams in one season or whether it spaces additions to maximize per-team fees.
The $205 million figure is the floor, not the ceiling. The NWSL has 15 months to prove that Columbus can sell 15,000 season tickets before the first ball is kicked, and if it does, the league will have its proof that Midwest markets are underpriced relative to coastal scarcity.
The takeaway
Columbus expansion at **$205M** doubles NWSL record, resets franchise valuation floor, and confirms institutional capital treats women's soccer as portfolio-grade.
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