The National Women's Soccer League awarded its 18th franchise to Columbus on Tuesday, installing Haslam Sports Group—owners of MLS's Columbus Crew—as operators. The expansion fee was not disclosed, though the league's previous two awards (Bay FC and BOS Nation FC) each carried $53 million price tags. First kick is targeted for the 2026 season.
The move places a second NWSL franchise in Ohio, joining the Cincinnati-based club set to debut in 2025. Columbus inherits immediate infrastructure advantages: Lower.com Field, a $314 million Crew venue opened in 2021, seats 20,000 and already hosts youth academies, training facilities, and season-ticket infrastructure. Haslam Sports Group, led by Dee and Jimmy Haslam, owns the NFL's Cleveland Browns alongside the Crew, acquired for $230 million in 2018. The ownership also includes a minority stake from former Crew players Frankie Hejduk and Brian McBride.
The award validates two structural bets. First, that MLS-adjacent ownership can cross-subsidize women's professional soccer without requiring standalone revenue breakeven in years one through three. San Diego Wave FC, owned by private equity investor Ron Burkle, set attendance records in its 2022 debut but remains unprofitable according to filings reviewed by the *San Diego Union-Tribune*. Columbus avoids duplicating venue costs, ticketing systems, and broadcast production overhead. Second, that mid-market metros can support two professional soccer franchises if timed correctly. Cincinnati's FC Cincinnati (MLS) averaged 25,513 fans per match in 2024; the NWSL club launching there in 2025 has already sold 8,000 season tickets, per league sources. Columbus Crew averaged 20,329 in 2024, the seventh-highest in MLS.
The timing matters for kit sponsors and jersey-inventory planners. Crew's current apparel deal with Adidas runs through 2027, and adding a women's team typically triggers renegotiation clauses that increase annual guarantees by 15%-25% in exchange for bundled activation rights. The Crew's front-of-shirt sponsor, Field, a financial services platform, paid a reported $4 million annually beginning in 2023; dual-club packages in MLS-NWSL markets (Portland, Seattle, Kansas City) command 20%-30% premiums when sold together. Haslam Sports Group declined to comment on commercial structuring.
The NWSL has now announced four expansion clubs since 2023, lifting total teams from 12 to 18 by 2026. Commissioner Jessica Berman stated in September that the league would consider pausing expansion after reaching 16 clubs, but investor demand and media-rights tailwinds shifted the calculus. The league's current broadcast agreement with CBS, ESPN, and Amazon runs through 2027 and pays approximately $60 million annually, triple the prior deal. Media executives briefed on renewal conversations expect the next cycle to clear $100 million annually, contingent on inventory growth and playoff expansion.
The Columbus award also clarifies ownership's thesis on venue utilization. Lower.com Field hosts 17 MLS regular-season matches, two to four playoff games, and occasional USMNT friendlies. Adding 12 NWSL regular-season dates and potential playoff inventory pushes annual event count above 30, improving cost-per-event economics and justifying incremental concessions and hospitality staffing. The Crew's training complex in Obetz, Ohio—$200 million, opened in 2023—includes six fields and dormitory space, enabling the women's team to share academy programming without requiring separate capital.
What remains unannounced: head coach, general manager, and whether the club will adopt Crew SC branding or launch under a separate identity. Portland's women's team operates as the Portland Thorns, not Timbers; Seattle's is the Reign, not Sounders. Columbus is expected to name a technical director by March and open a coach search immediately after. The club will enter the 2026 NWSL Draft with an expansion-protected roster build, selecting from unprotected players across existing teams.
The league's 19th and 20th franchises remain unofficial but structurally inevitable. Cincinnati debuts in 2025. Cleveland, Nashville, and a second Los Angeles franchise are circulating among ownership groups, with Cleveland considered most advanced given Haslam family ties and existing FirstEnergy Stadium infrastructure. The next formal award is expected no earlier than mid-2025, per league sources.
Lower.com Field will host its first NWSL match in March 2026, assuming construction and permitting remain on schedule. The Crew's season-ticket base of 18,500 provides the immediate addressable market for cross-sell campaigns, which typically convert 12%-18% of MLS holders into women's team buyers when bundled at a discount.