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Atlanta and Columbus receive **$2.75M** allocation money and **two international slots** each, with December **2027** expansion draft setting competitive timelines.
26 months
before their first matches in February
2028
Each team receives
$2.75 million
in allocation money across
10 players
Both teams then participate in the
The NWSL published roster construction rules for Atlanta and Columbus, the league's fifteenth and sixteenth franchises, detailing how both clubs build competitive squads 26 months before their first matches in February 2028. Each team receives $2.75 million in allocation money across 2026, 2027, and 2028, plus protected access to two international roster slots before the expansion draft.
The expansion draft occurs in December 2027. Each existing club protects nine players; Atlanta and Columbus alternate selections until each roster holds 10 players. Both teams then participate in the 2028 College Draft with the top two picks, determined by coin flip, before entering standard allocation order. The framework mirrors the 2024 Bay FC model, which produced a playoff berth in year one, though Bay entered a 14-team league while Atlanta and Columbus face 16 established rosters.
The timing creates pressure on both general managers to convert capital into talent before other clubs spend down cap space. Allocation money expires if unspent by December 31 of each calendar year, forcing Atlanta and Columbus to either sign international talent early or trade the funds to existing teams for draft picks or allocation order improvements. Bay FC used $1.1 million of its $2.75 million allotment to acquire Racheal Kundananji from Madrid CFF in January 2024, then flipped remaining funds to secure midfielder Deyna Castellanos. The approach worked; Bay finished sixth and reached the quarterfinals.
Atlanta's ownership group, led by Arthur Blank, already operates MLS Atlanta United in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, giving the NWSL club immediate access to a 42,500-seat venue and established sponsorship infrastructure. Columbus, backed by Dee and Jimmy Haslam, will share Lower.com Field with the MLS Crew, a 20,371-seat facility that hosted the 2024 MLS Cup. Both markets carry MLS attendance averages above 19,000, but NWSL comps suggest 8,000-12,000 realistic targets; Bay FC averaged 11,949 in year one, fourth in the league.
The international slot allocation matters because NWSL roster rules cap international players at eight per team starting in 2026, down from previous flexibility. Atlanta and Columbus each receive two slots before the expansion draft, letting them sign marquee internationals without trading for access. If either club uses both slots on high-salary players—say, a European forward and a South American midfielder—they enter the draft with limited cap space to retain expensive domestic veterans other teams leave unprotected. Bay FC protected its international investments and drafted younger domestic players, a template both Atlanta and Columbus studied.
What matters now is how quickly both front offices staff up. Bay FC hired general manager Matt Potter in April 2023, giving him 21 months to build relationships, scout internationally, and prepare trade scenarios before the expansion draft. Atlanta and Columbus, announced in September 2024, have until December 2027 to hire GMs, coaching staffs, and performance infrastructure. The NWSL requires both clubs to submit stadium lease agreements and training facility plans by June 2025, compressing the operational timeline.
The roster framework also affects existing clubs. Teams now know they will lose at least one unprotected player in December 2027, creating trade windows in summer 2026 and summer 2027 to move veterans with expiring contracts rather than lose them for nothing. Expect allocation money to flow from Atlanta and Columbus to clubs willing to move up in draft order or flip international slots, particularly if either expansion team wants to stockpile picks and build through younger talent instead of expensive international signings.
Both clubs enter a league where playoff expansion to 12 teams begins in 2026, meaning 75 percent of the league qualifies. A competent roster build should yield postseason revenue in year one. Bay FC proved it; Atlanta and Columbus now have the blueprint and 26 months to execute.
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