Haslam Sports Group closed a $205 million deal for the National Women's Soccer League's Columbus expansion franchise, the league's 17th team and the highest franchise fee paid to date. The team enters play in 2028. The Haslams own the Cleveland Browns, Columbus Crew, and a portfolio of real estate anchored to stadiums they control.
The $205 million price is 24 percent higher than the $165 million Atlanta committed five months ago for rights to the league's 18th franchise, also beginning in 2028. Under NWSL expansion terms, Atlanta's fee is now guaranteed at the lower amount despite the Columbus benchmark. The league structured the Atlanta deal with a price floor tied to future expansion valuations, but the Haslams' entry triggered the cap. Atlanta effectively paid $40 million less for the same asset class with the same start date.
The gap matters because it shows where the market actually cleared versus where it was projected to clear in November. When Atlanta signed, the league had just launched Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC at undisclosed fees. The $205 million Columbus number suggests institutional buyers see a $200 million-plus floor for top-10 metro markets with infrastructure optionality. The Haslams bring Lower.com Field, a 20,371-seat soccer-specific stadium they opened in 2021 for the Crew, and the financial capacity to write checks without syndication delays.
Grant Hill's visible engagement with Orlando Pride—he attends matches, sits near ownership, and posts content during playoff runs—signals how former athletes are positioning in women's sports equity before the next media rights cycle. Hill bought into Pride when the asset was cheaper. The Haslams are paying post-CBS deal pricing, post-playoff attendance records, and post-Google's jersey sponsorship normalization. Their $205 million reflects a market that already processed those data points.
The NWSL now has 17 active franchises, with Atlanta entering as number 18 in 2028. The league's inaugural advisory board meeting this month included Hill and other investors the league is using as sounding boards for governance structure ahead of the next expansion window. The advisory board exists because institutional capital asked for it. Family offices and private equity want board seats or observer rights when checks approach $200 million.
What to watch: Atlanta's ownership group composition, which remains partially undisclosed, and whether they attempt to renegotiate governance terms given the valuation gap. Coordinator hires and stadium naming rights for Columbus will surface in Q3 2026, roughly 18 months before kickoff. The next expansion cycle likely prices at $225 million-plus if media rights clear $40 million per team annually in 2027 negotiations.
The Haslams paid $205 million for a team that plays in 24 months. Atlanta paid $165 million for the same timeline five months earlier. The difference is the cost of waiting for the market to tell you what it already knew.