Haslam Sports Group paid $205 million for an NWSL expansion franchise in Columbus that will begin play in 2028, making it the league's 18th team and the second-highest entry fee in women's sports history. The deal, announced Tuesday, was structured to ensure Atlanta's previously committed $165 million fee holds at full value, giving the league $370 million in new capital across two expansion cycles.
The Haslams—who own the Cleveland Browns, Columbus Crew, and recently launched the Cleveland Sirens WNBA franchise for $150 million—will operate the Columbus team through their sports holding company. The franchise will play in a yet-to-be-determined venue, with the league targeting a downtown site separate from the Crew's Lower.com Field. NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed the league is "in active discussions" with two more ownership groups for teams 19 and 20, both expected to launch by 2026. The Columbus fee sets a new pricing floor: Atlanta entered at $165 million in November 2024, Cleveland's WNBA slot cost $150 million six months earlier, and Golden State's WNBA expansion ran $50 million in 2023.
The Columbus deal matters because it validates the Atlanta pricing without concession. Atlanta's group, led by Witkoff and Beechwood Capital, committed $165 million under terms that included a pricing reset clause if subsequent expansion fees came in materially lower. By paying $205 million, the Haslams triggered the clause in reverse: Atlanta's fee stands at full value, and the league avoided a scenario where early adopters could demand rebates. That structure now extends forward. Owners who join at team 19 or 20 will pay a fee benchmarked to Columbus's $205 million, not Atlanta's $165 million. The league's expansion memo to prospective buyers in December quoted a range of $180 million to $220 million for remaining slots, with final price tied to market size and venue commitment.
The Haslams' cross-sport portfolio also creates a revenue template that matters to sponsors and media buyers. Cleveland's WNBA franchise will share arena operations with the Cavaliers, and the Crew already runs a regional sports network deal that bundles MLS and lower-league content. The Columbus NWSL team will slot into that infrastructure, giving Haslam Sports Group three women's franchises (NWSL, WNBA, and a United Soccer League W-League team launching in 2025) across two cities. That density matters for kit sponsors and regional broadcasters who want volume commitments. Nike, which holds NWSL's apparel contract through 2027, is in renewal talks that include expanded women's team inventory; the Haslams' Columbus franchise gives Nike another anchor market in the Midwest.
The 2028 launch timeline is deliberate. Atlanta begins play in 2026, leaving a two-year gap before Columbus enters. That spacing ensures the league doesn't flood the expansion draft pool and gives Columbus time to secure a purpose-built venue or a major renovation of an existing site. The league's preference is a 20,000-seat downtown stadium with separate locker room infrastructure and year-round climate control, a spec that rules out most collegiate venues. Columbus has three candidate sites under review, all within a mile of the Crew's stadium, but none have broken ground. If no venue materializes by late 2025, the franchise will likely play at Lower.com Field on a shared calendar with the Crew, a model Orlando and Portland both use.
Watch for two follow-on events. First, the league will announce teams 19 and 20 by summer 2025, with both entering in 2026 if venue commitments are met. Second, Nike's apparel renewal will close by March 2025, and the Haslams' Columbus franchise gives the league a stronger negotiating position on minimum guarantees. The current deal pays the league $4 million annually; renewal talks are targeting $12 million to $15 million, a range that reflects WNBA's recent Nike extension at $40 million per year for 12 teams.
The Haslams paid $205 million for a team that doesn't exist yet. The league banked $370 million from two franchises in four months. The next two buyers are calling their advisors.
The takeaway
**$205M** Columbus fee sets floor for NWSL's final two slots and validates Atlanta's **$165M** entry without rebate exposure.
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