The National Women's Soccer League awarded its 18th franchise to a Columbus ownership group for $110 million, the league confirmed Tuesday. The fee represents a 100% premium over Boston's $53 million entry price paid in September 2023 and marks the third new U.S. market addition since Bay FC joined for $53 million in 2023. The team begins play in 2026.
The Columbus franchise joins a league that posted 35% average attendance growth in 2024 and closed a media deal with CBS, ESPN, and Prime Video worth a reported $240 million over four years. The expansion fee lands $5 million above the Utah Royals' $105 million reactivation price paid in April 2024, though that figure included stadium infrastructure commitments. Ownership structure and stadium plans were not disclosed at announcement. The Columbus Crew MLS franchise shares Lower.com Field, a 20,000-seat venue that opened in 2021 at a cost of $314 million. NWSL minimum capacity is 7,500, suggesting either a reconfigured Lower.com or a separate build.
The pricing trajectory matters for the three groups circling bids. An Arizona businesswoman is lobbying for a Phoenix franchise, per The Guardian, with league officials publicly acknowledging exploratory talks. The league has stated intentions to reach 20 teams by 2028, leaving two slots in the current roadmap. Tampa and Philadelphia have surfaced in ownership discussions over the past 14 months, though neither has progressed to announcement. The Arizona pitch benefits from proximity to Angel City FC sponsors and no MLS competition in-market, though the summer heat creates operational constraints. Phoenix's metro population of 4.9 million exceeds Columbus's 2.1 million, but Columbus delivers proximity to Chicago, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh for travel efficiency.
Expansion math now runs ahead of comparable MLS pricing. Columbus Crew sold for $150 million in 2018; the NWSL Columbus fee represents 73% of that figure for a league 22 years younger. The gap reflects sponsor appetite: NWSL jersey deals jumped 400% between 2022 and 2024, per league disclosures, while MLS kit revenue has plateaued. Family offices allocating to sports are watching equity step-ups: Bay FC's $53 million fee in 2023 looked expensive; 20 months later it prices as the floor. The question now is whether $110 million holds or whether the Arizona bidder pushes past $120 million to force entry.
Watch stadium announcements before July. Columbus ownership needs venue clarity to begin season-ticket outreach. The Arizona pitch decision lands before August, when league offices typically finalize the following year's schedule. If both markets enter, the league hits 19 teams, forcing an odd-number scheduling grid or acceleration of the 20th franchise ahead of 2028. Separately, Bay FC's secondary market begins functioning this quarter; if shares trade above a $300 million implied valuation—roughly 5.7x the entry fee—the Columbus group's return math tightens within 36 months.
The Columbus announcement arrives two weeks after commissioner Jessica Berman told Bloomberg the league was "not in a rush" on expansion. The $110 million wire transfer suggests otherwise.