The National Women's Soccer League awarded its 17th franchise to Haslam Sports Group for $205 million, with Columbus set to begin play in 2028. The fee marks the highest paid for a women's professional sports team and arrives five weeks after Boston and Denver kicked off as teams 15 and 16.
Haslam Sports Group—owner of the NFL's Cleveland Browns, MLS Columbus Crew, and AHL Cleveland Monsters—will operate the club. The expansion payment structure includes milestone disbursements tied to stadium site selection, naming rights execution, and inaugural roster construction. First tranche clears in Q3 2025; final payment lands 60 days before kickoff.
The Columbus deal guarantees the league receives the full $165 million committed by Atlanta, which joins in 2027. Atlanta's agreement included performance escalators tied to subsequent franchise valuations. Columbus crossing $200 million triggers Atlanta's backstop clause, ensuring NWSL collects $370 million across two markets before either team plays a match. League counsel confirmed the Atlanta payment clears in two installments: $82.5 million in September 2025, the remainder in March 2027.
Three expansion fees in nine months—Boston at $108 million, Denver at an undisclosed sum believed to be $110-120 million, and now Columbus—pull the average above $170 million and reset the valuation floor for Cincinnati, which submitted materials in February for a 2029 entry. Cincinnati ownership, led by FC Cincinnati principal Carl Lindner III, is preparing a bid in the $215-230 million range, per two people familiar with the process.
Columbus was not the highest bidder. A Charlotte-based group fronted by private equity and a retired WNBA executive offered $218 million in March but failed to provide proof of funds for stadium construction by the April 10 deadline. Charlotte's departure cleared the path for Haslam, whose Crew stadium—Lower.com Field, opened 2021, $314 million total cost—provides immediate infrastructure and a ready venue while a dedicated NWSL facility undergoes planning.
Haslam Sports Group's NWSL team will share executives with the Crew but operate as a separate legal entity with its own P&L. President of Business Operations for the Crew, Steve Lyons, will not oversee the women's side; the group is interviewing candidates with WNBA or international women's football experience. Three finalists remain. Announcement expected by July.
The Columbus market carries risk. Ohio State women's soccer draws 3,100 per match; Columbus Crew averages 20,844 but required years of community rebuilding after the 2018 near-relocation to Austin. NWSL's smallest market by population—Louisville, 630,000—averages 5,632 in year three. Columbus metro sits at 2.1 million, but disposable sports spend already splits across five professional franchises (Blue Jackets, Clippers, Crew, minor league baseball, a USL Championship side).
League projections show Columbus reaching 8,000 average attendance by year two, supported by the Crew's 14,000-name season ticket waitlist, of which internal surveys suggest 22% would convert to a women's team. That math implies 3,080 guaranteed seats before public sale. Lower.com Field holds 20,371; the team will curtain the upper bowl for matches until year four.
Grant Hill, who invested in Orlando Pride in 2023, attended NWSL's first advisory board meeting last week in New York. Hill joined 11 other new investors—including Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Condoleezza Rice, and Billie Jean King—in a day-long session covering media rights (current deal expires December 2027), international expansion, and governance structure. Hill has appeared at six of eight Pride matches this season, sitting pitch-side and engaging with players post-match. His visibility contrasts with passive investor models common in MLS, where minority stakes rarely translate to operational presence.
Columbus kickoff is scheduled for March 2028. Stadium site selection closes in Q4 2025. Naming rights process begins after site announcement. The club will hire a general manager by December 2026, then begin roster construction in the 2027 expansion draft.
Cincinnati's bid decision lands in Q3 2025. If approved, NWSL reaches 18 teams by 2029, matching MLS's 2005 footprint and setting the stage for a divisional realignment the league has discussed but not committed to. Two western markets—Tucson and Las Vegas—submitted informal interest letters in March. Neither is considered serious for the 2029 slot.
The takeaway
Columbus's $205M fee resets women's sports team valuations and guarantees Atlanta's $165M backstop, pulling NWSL expansion average above $170M in nine months.
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