Columbus NWSL Expansion: A…

A potential ownership group led by the Haslam family from Columbus, Ohio, has confirmed to ESPN its serious interest in acquiring a National Women’s Soccer League expansion franchise.

The Haslam Sports Group (HSG), headed by Dee and Jimmy Haslam, owns the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and MLS’ Columbus Crew, in addition to being co-owners of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.

The proposed ownership group also includes HSG managing partners J.W. Johnson and Whitney Haslam Johnson, as well as the family of Dr. Pete Edwards, who recently increased their ownership stake in the Crew, and the Columbus-based insurance provider Nationwide.

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According to HSG, “We constantly evaluate investment opportunities within the sports and entertainment sectors. On behalf of a partnership including Nationwide and the Haslam, Johnson, and Edwards families, HSG has engaged in initial discussions with the NWSL regarding this expansion.” They added that “the growth of women’s sports and the NWSL makes the idea of an expansion team for Columbus, Franklin County, and Ohio’s dedicated soccer fans particularly exciting.”

Columbus is one of several cities vying for the NWSL’s 18th franchise. Sources indicate that it is among the leading candidates for the next expansion slot, though no final decisions have been made yet, and there is no set timeline for when the NWSL will announce its next franchise.

An NWSL spokesperson noted, “While we refrain from commenting on specific markets or current bids, we are actively engaged in a calculated expansion process with several exemplary ownership groups, looking ahead to the league’s future.”

The NWSL announced last November that Atlanta, under the ownership of Arthur Blank’s AMB Sports, will be the league’s 17th team starting in 2028, after agreeing to a record fee of $165 million. A source familiar with the Columbus bid stated that the investment group aims to begin play in 2028 as well.

Plans for the new NWSL team in Columbus suggest it will play at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, currently home to the Crew. Preliminary designs for a dedicated training facility for the NWSL team have also been initiated.

The Haslams’ genuine interest in the league is highlighted by an upcoming NWSL match scheduled at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, as one source close to the situation indicated.

The NWSL Challenge Cup matchup, featuring last year’s Shield winners, the Kansas City Current, against last year’s champions, Gotham FC, is set to take place on June 26 at this venue.

The Crew previously played in a custom-built stadium north of downtown until 2021 and now conducts its training at adjacent facilities that will also accommodate the Crew’s reserve team and a forthcoming United Football League team.

Columbus has a track record of hosting successful matches for the U.S. women’s national team, with a match scheduled at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field against Canada this Wednesday. The city has been a frequent venue for U.S. men’s national team games, as well.

In April 2024, the USWNT faced Canada at this venue, drawing a near-capacity crowd of over 19,000 spectators. This match will mark the team’s third appearance since the venue’s opening.

The Haslams have owned the Cleveland Browns since 2012.

The Crew is historically one of MLS’s most successful teams, with three MLS Cups, three Supporters’ Shields, and one U.S. Open Cup to its name. HSG became the Crew’s owners in early 2019, successfully preventing the team’s relocation and ensuring it remained in Columbus. The Crew transitioned to their new downtown stadium in the summer of 2021.

The NWSL has experienced rapid expansion since its inception as an eight-team league in 2013. With the addition of teams in Boston and Denver starting in March, the league will grow to 16 teams for the upcoming season.

Denver secured the 16th franchise over competing bids from Ohio.

A separate group from Cleveland, not affiliated with the Haslams, was a finalist for the 16th franchise along with the ownership group of MLS’s FC Cincinnati, which enlisted WNBA star Caitlin Clark as an investor to strengthen their proposal.

NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman recently confirmed that the league is transitioning to an “ongoing” expansion approach, emphasizing that many recent applicants are already familiar with the expansion process and the league itself.