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COLUMBUS, Ohio — The announcement last November that Atlanta would be the 17th expansion franchise in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), with a record-setting $165 million bid, begged the question: which market would round out the ever-growing league this time?If Columbus has its way, it will become a Midwestern anchor in 2028.
On Wednesday night, the state capital offered a vivid glimpse of what that could look like when it hosted the second match day of the SheBelieves Cup at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, the current home of the Columbus Crew. Colombia played Argentina to a 1-0 victory first, and the U.S. women’s national team followed in a highly anticipated match against northern rivals Canada in which the hosts also won 1-0.
Ohio native and U.S. forward Emma Sears, who plays for Racing Louisville in the NWSL, subbed on during the second half to a swell of applause from her hometown crowd.
“It was definitely a very special moment for me,” the Ohio State alum told the media in the mixed zone after the game Wednesday night. “I appreciate the Buckeye fans so much and Columbus definitely showed out for us tonight, so it was really fun.”
Asked whether the crowd energy showed what life might look like if Columbus wound up securing an NWSL franchise, she eagerly replied, “One hundred percent. I’m secretly crossing my fingers, hoping that, at some point, Columbus gets a team. They have the infrastructure for that.”
“Some point” might not be so far away.
On Feb. 27, the Haslam Sports Group (HSG), spearheaded by Dee and Jimmy Haslam, announced its serious intent to pursue an NWSL franchise.
Already the majority owner of both the Cleveland Browns of the NFL and the Crew in the MLS, as well as co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, a team in the NWSL would round out the Haslam family’s portfolio with a foray into women’s professional sports. ESPN was first to report the group’s interest.
The full ownership group includes J.W. Johnson and Whitney Haslam Johnson, who serve as HSG’s managing partners, as well as the insurance company Nationwide, which is headquartered in Columbus.
“Haslam Sports Group consistently evaluates various investment opportunities across the sports and entertainment industry,” the group said in a statement provided to The Athletic.
“On behalf of a partnership including Nationwide and the Haslam, Johnson and Edwards families, HSG has held exploratory conversations with the NWSL. We are excited to continue those conversations and further assess the best direction for all parties. With the growth of women’s sports and the NWSL, the prospect of an expansion franchise for the City of Columbus, Franklin County and passionate soccer fans across Ohio is incredibly appealing.”
In September last year, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said the league was doing away with a more clearly defined start and end process of expansion in favor of a more fluid one that operates on a rolling basis. A league spokesperson declined to comment on any specifics of the current expansion process.
Columbus was not part of the last group of expansion bids that included Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Denver, but its profile is similar in appeal: it is a booming, increasingly diverse city that could capitalize on more affordable real estate than other markets. Home to Ohio State University, Columbus also has a significant boost — or significant obstacle, depending on perspective — in the Columbus Crew, the first team to join the MLS and historically one of the league’s most successful teams.
Speaking with The Athletic on background, a league source with knowledge of Columbus’ expansion efforts said, if all goes accordingly, the NWSL team would coexist with the Crew as a distinct entity. Both teams would play their games at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, which has a capacity of 20,139. The group is already underway on plans to construct a state-of-the-art training facility for the NWSL team. The plan currently includes the idea that the Columbus team would begin play in 2028 alongside Atlanta.
Since its inception in 1994 as the first MLS club, the Columbus Crew have won the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield three times each, as well as a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open title.
The Columbus NWSL franchise group also aims to invest in the full development of women’s soccer and is exploring the creation of an academy system should their NWSL bid find success, according to the source.
Tuesday afternoon, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes spoke highly of her Columbus experience thus far, appearing to find it easy to imagine an NWSL team there.
“I know about the history of this town in terms of it not just being one of the original MLS (teams). I hope one day there’ll be an NWSL club,” she said. “It’d be fantastic if there were an NWSL franchise here.”
Following the success of the recent SheBelieves Cup matches — the U.S.-Canada match drew an attendance of 18,545 — Columbus will next play host to the NWSL Challenge Cup between reigning champions Gotham FC and shield winners Kansas City Current on June 26.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Columbus Crew, US Women's national team, NWSL, Women's Soccer
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