The Haslam family is paying $205 million for an NWSL expansion franchise in Columbus that begins play in 2028, the league announced Tuesday at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. The fee is 24% higher than Atlanta's $165 million entry last November and establishes a new floor for valuations as the league enters its next media-rights cycle.

Dee and Jimmy Haslam, who control the NFL's Cleveland Browns and MLS's Columbus Crew, are adding the NWSL's 18th team to a portfolio that already includes majority stakes in the Milwaukee Bucks' practice facility and minority positions in the Crew's real estate ventures. The Columbus franchise will share infrastructure with the Crew, including ScottsMiracle-Gro Field and the $315 million training complex opened in 2023. The MLS club averages 20,187 fans per match, fourth-highest in the league, and the Haslams are banking on shared services to compress startup costs below the $50 million to $70 million range most recent NWSL expansion teams have required.

The $40 million premium over Atlanta matters because NWSL is negotiating domestic media rights that expire after the 2027 season. CBS, ESPN, and Amazon currently pay a combined $60 million annually under a deal signed in 2023. League executives have told prospective bidders they expect the next package to exceed $150 million per year, citing attendance growth of 48% since 2022 and an average franchise valuation that Sportico pegged at $145 million before the Columbus announcement. The Haslams' willingness to pay $205 million for a team that does not play for two years is a data point CBS Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery will reference when NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman enters formal negotiations this fall.

The structure of the Columbus deal also signals the league's preference for operators with adjacent assets. Of the six franchises added since 2021, five are controlled by ownership groups that also hold MLS, NBA, or MLB stakes. The Haslams' Crew connection means Columbus can avoid stadium construction costs and negotiate kit sponsors who already have Midwest soccer exposure. Adidas, which has supplied the Crew since 2021 under a deal worth approximately $3 million per season, is expected to extend terms to the NWSL team before the 2028 launch.

Two details complicate the rollout. The Haslams are currently defending a lawsuit filed by minority Browns investors who allege financial mismanagement related to the team's $1.2 billion Brookpark stadium proposal. Discovery in that case is ongoing, and deposition schedules overlap with the NWSL's expected timeline for Columbus to hire a president and general manager. Separately, the league has not announced which team will be the 19th franchise, though groups in Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Denver have submitted preliminary bids. League sources expect that announcement before the 2026 NWSL Championship in November, with a fee exceeding $210 million.

The Columbus team does not yet have a name, crest, or coaching staff. The Haslams are expected to name a club president by August and open a general manager search in the fourth quarter. That timeline positions the franchise to participate in the 2027 NWSL College Draft, where expansion teams typically receive priority picks, and to announce jersey sponsors before the league's 2028 preseason begins in February.

The $205 million fee is also a reference point for private equity firms circling the league. NWSL voted in January to allow institutional investors to acquire up to 15% stakes in individual clubs, and at least three funds—including Sixth Street Partners and The Raine Group—have held preliminary talks with existing owners. The Columbus valuation implies an enterprise value above $225 million when accounting for working capital, which is higher than the range most PE models assumed six months ago. The Haslams are not expected to sell any portion of the Columbus team before it begins play.