Haslam Sports Group will pay $205 million to bring a National Women's Soccer League franchise to Columbus, beginning play in 2028. The fee is the highest in women's professional sports history and 24 percent above the $165 million Atlanta committed five months ago when it secured expansion rights.
The National Women's Soccer League awarded the franchise to the family behind the NFL's Cleveland Browns and the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets. Commissioner Jessica Berman announced the decision Monday. Columbus becomes the league's 17th team, following Boston and Denver, which started play five weeks ago. Atlanta enters in 2027.
The escalation matters because Atlanta's payment was structured with contingencies tied to subsequent franchise pricing. Under terms negotiated last November, Atlanta's full $165 million obligation becomes due only if a later expansion fee meets or exceeds that threshold. Columbus did. The league now books $370 million in expansion capital across two deals, split among 14 existing ownership groups after the league's enterprise share. Orlando Pride investor Grant Hill, who joined the ownership group in 2023, will see his stake diluted by roughly 12 percent once both franchises are active, assuming he does not participate in follow-on capital calls.
The Haslams acquired the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer in 2023 for an estimated $220 million, giving the family control of both professional soccer properties in the market. Lower.com Field, the Crew's downtown stadium, will host NWSL matches. The venue seats 20,000 and opened in 2021. Sharing infrastructure lowers operating costs, a model Kansas City, Portland, and Seattle already run. The Crew averaged 20,537 fans per match in 2025, second in MLS.
NWSL franchise values have tripled since 2022, when the league expanded to San Diego at a $50 million entry price. Bay FC paid $53 million in 2023. Boston and Denver each committed $108 million last year, a figure Atlanta nearly doubled six months later. The acceleration reflects broadcast momentum: CBS Sports and ESPN locked a five-year, $240 million rights deal in 2024, a 400 percent increase over the prior contract. Attendance rose 26 percent year-over-year in 2025. Twelve of fourteen teams now play in soccer-specific or NFL stadiums; North Carolina and Houston remain in smaller venues.
Atlanta's ownership group, led by KB Sports & Entertainment, will finalize its roster build through the 2026 expansion draft. That group includes former Atlanta United executives and private equity figures. Columbus will enter the same process in 2027. Both teams receive two protected picks in their respective drafts and a supplemental allocation spot in the college draft. Boston and Denver, which began play with rosters assembled under the old expansion model, are averaging 8,200 and 7,100 fans through five home matches. League minimums require 8,000 season-ticket equivalents by year three.
The Haslams now operate three major league franchises across two cities. Dee and Jimmy Haslam own the Browns outright and purchased the Blue Jackets in 2023 for approximately $180 million. The NWSL franchise is held under Haslam Sports Group, a separate entity managing non-NFL holdings. The Browns are valued at $4.62 billion by Forbes; the Blue Jackets at $1 billion. The NWSL expansion fee represents the largest single non-NFL investment the family has made in professional sports.
Two expansion slots remain available under the league's stated goal of reaching 18 teams by 2029. Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Cleveland have submitted formal interest. Commissioner Berman said Monday the league will not announce further expansion until Columbus and Atlanta complete their first seasons. The next fee, if consistent with the pricing curve since 2022, would approach $250 million. That figure would value the league's enterprise component—revenue-sharing media rights, sponsorship assets, and expansion proceeds—at roughly $1.8 billion on a fully distributed basis.
Columbus begins executive searches immediately. The club will name a general manager by October and a head coach by January 2027, per league timelines. The Crew's president, Tim Bezbatchenko, will not assume dual responsibilities; Haslam Sports Group is recruiting a separate president for the NWSL side. Bezbatchenko's contract runs through 2027.
Atlanta's full $165 million payment is due within 90 days of Columbus's closing. The league confirms both transactions are on schedule to complete before June 30.
The takeaway
NWSL expansion fees jumped 24% in five months, locking Atlanta into full payment and pricing the next slot near $250 million.
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