The Haslam Sports Group closed a $205 million expansion deal with the NWSL on Tuesday, securing Columbus as the league's 18th franchise with play starting in 2028. The figure represents a 24% premium over the $165 million Atlanta paid in November for a 2026 slot, the steepest price jump between consecutive expansion awards in league history.
The ownership includes Dee and Jimmy Haslam, who control the Cleveland Browns and Columbus Crew through separate vehicles, plus minority stakes from Pete Edwards (Haslams' business partner in the Crew purchase) and Columbus-based investors yet to be disclosed. The franchise will play at Lower.com Field, the $314 million soccer-specific stadium the Crew opened in 2021, which already hosts 21,000 average attendance for MLS matches. The NWSL deal grants the Haslams exclusive Columbus rights but does not include territorial clauses blocking Cleveland or Dayton expansion, according to two people briefed on the terms.
The valuation gap matters because it sets the floor for Boston and Philadelphia, both expected to announce franchises before year-end. Atlanta's $165 million was considered stretched when announced; Arthur Blank cited brand overlap with Atlanta United and a captive fanbase in a purpose-built venue. Columbus offers similar dynamics—shared infrastructure, existing front office, overlapping sponsor base—but lacks Atlanta's corporate density and media-market rank. The Haslams are paying for speed. A 2028 launch gives them two full seasons to sell founding-member deposits and kit partnerships before the 2026 World Cup wave recedes and capital costs reset.
The NWSL angle also provides cover for the Browns, where revenue stagnated post-Deshaun Watson and attendance softened below 65,000 per game last season despite a new lakefront stadium push. The Haslams have floated a $2.4 billion domed stadium proposal that requires $1.2 billion in Ohio public funding; pairing that ask with a women's sports investment—popular with legislators, cheaper than an MLS bid—creates optical balance. One Ohio statehouse aide described the NWSL move as "a $200 million concession speech before the stadium vote even happens."
The franchise will share the Crew's front office through at least 2029, per league transition rules, meaning the same general manager, ticketing director, and sponsorship VP will juggle both rosters. Lower.com Field's 20,000-seat configuration works for NWSL scale—league average is 11,250—but scheduling conflicts during overlapping MLS and NWSL seasons will require either mid-week NWSL matches or grass management protocols that cost $40,000 per rehab cycle. The Crew already replaced their pitch twice in 2025. Sponsors will watch whether Shell, Acura, and Safelite—Crew jersey partners—extend into NWSL inventory or whether the Haslams sell separate women's-specific deals at lower CPMs.
Columbus becomes the ninth NWSL market with MLS overlap, following Portland, Seattle, Orlando, Kansas City, Houston, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, and San Diego. Shared infrastructure cuts operating costs but also compresses upside: the Crew's season-ticket base of 18,500 represents the pool from which NWSL founding memberships will be drawn, and dual-sport packages typically yield 60-70% overlap rather than additive revenue. The Atlanta Spirit valued their NWSL deal at $30 million annual revenue by year three; Columbus will need to clear $20 million to justify the entry fee on a 10-year payback.
What to watch: NWSL will announce a head coach and general manager by October, per the league's standard 18-month runway. Founding-member deposits ($500 for two seats) should open by July, giving a clean read on demand before the Crew's 2027 MLS season. The Haslams will also face a stadium-naming decision; Lower.com's deal expires in 2031 and the NWSL franchise creates leverage for a joint renegotiation in the $12-15 million annual range. Boston and Philadelphia bids are expected by September, and both will reference Columbus as the comp.
The Haslams now operate $4.1 billion in sports assets—Browns at $3.5 billion, Crew at $680 million, NWSL at $205 million—but remain shut out of global soccer's top tier. The NWSL franchise is the first women's property in their portfolio and the first where valuation growth, not cash flow, is the thesis. The league has added $1.1 billion in franchise fees since 2023, and none of those teams have played a match yet.
The takeaway
Haslams paid a 24% premium for NWSL Columbus to bundle with their Crew assets, setting a new expansion-fee floor before Boston and Philadelphia enter the market.
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