The NWSL is heading to Columbus. The league confirmed Tuesday it has awarded an expansion franchise to Ohio's capital city, with the club set to compete from 2028 as the league's 18th team.
The ownership group is led by Haslam Sports Group — the same outfit that runs the Cleveland Browns in the NFL and holds operating rights to MLS's Columbus Crew. Add insurance giant Nationwide and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards to the mix, and this isn't a vanity project. There's serious infrastructure behind it.
A city that already knows how to back its football
Columbus isn't an unproven market. The Crew have shown for years that Ohio's capital can sustain serious soccer support, which makes this a lower-risk bet for the NWSL than dropping a franchise somewhere that's never proven it. Commissioner Jessica Berman called it "a natural next step" — and for once, that's not just commissioner-speak. The groundwork is genuinely there.
The new club will play at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field and will launch alongside a new Atlanta side in 2028. Two new franchises entering the same year means the NWSL's competitive landscape — and its fixture list — is about to get denser. That's worth watching from a depth-of-squad perspective for every existing club in the league.
There's no team name, no badge, no colours yet. The league says fans across Ohio will have a say in shaping all of that, which is a smart way to build a fanbase before a ball is kicked.
- Franchise awarded: Columbus, Ohio
- Expected debut: 2028 season
- League size on entry: 18 clubs
- Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field
- Ownership: Haslam Sports Group, Nationwide, Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards
"We're excited to bring the world's most competitive women's soccer league to Columbus," Berman said. Four years to build something from scratch. The clock is already running.
