Since the National Women’s Soccer League launched with an eight-team competition in 2013, it has grown rapidly. Back in November 2025, the league awarded its 17th expansion franchise to Atlanta. As such, earlier this year, Cleveland Browns’ owner Jimmy Haslam took a serious interest in WSNL. In February, Haslam Sports Group, led by Jimmy and Dee Haslam, even submitted a bid for the NWSL’s 18th franchise in Columbus. Now, after weeks of deliberation, the NWSL has just agreed to the expansion. 

On April 21, the NWSL announced the addition of its 18th expansion franchise in Columbus, with Haslam Sports Group leading the ownership group. Insurance giant Nationwide and the Edwards family are the other investors for the NWSL team. While the financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed, a source told Forbes that the ownership group will pay a $205 million expansion fee for the team.

In January 2025, the expansion fee paid for the Denver Summit FC was around $110 million. By November last year, the expansion fee had jumped to around $165 million for Atlanta’s team. Now, the investment in the Columbus team, including facility upgrades and startup costs, could exceed $300 million. As per Sportico, the latest valuation for an NWSL team is about $184 million, so the Haslams Sports Group’s investment indicates a major confidence in the league’s future.

“If you look at [the rise in expansion fees] through a ‘first principles’ business lens, it shouldn’t be surprising – our revenue has grown significantly in the last four years, and we are only in our first real media rights deal,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said in a recent interview with Forbes.

“On a more personal level, I try to take a step back and say, ‘Wow, this really has been an incredible chapter of growth,’ but there’s not much time to reflect back because the expectations of seismic growth are actually in front of us and people like the Haslams are investing because they believe that our best days are ahead.”

The Haslams Group’s bid was selected under the NWSL’s new expansion strategy. In September 2025, the NWSL introduced a “rolling” process, under which the league can review new franchise proposals more quickly than through traditional bidding rounds. NWSL has also prioritized bringing in financially well-off owners with connections to boost the business side of the sport. 

Jimmy Haslam, with a net worth estimated at $10.3 billion, fits that financial requirement for NWSL ownership. Having ownership stakes in both the NFL and MLS, Haslam can also bring commercial connections to help the new NWSL franchise build sponsorships and partnerships.

Haslams Group is excited to add an NWSL team to its portfolio

In 2012, Haslam Sports Group purchased the Cleveland Browns for roughly $1 billion. Seven years later, they acquired a majority stake in MLS club Columbus Crew for about $150 million. Then, in 2023, the Haslams bought a minority stake (25%) in the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. Now, the Haslams’ NWSL team is scheduled to debut in 2028, adding to their already diverse sports portfolio.

“We’re really excited about adding more women’s sports into our portfolio,” Haslam Sports Group’s managing partner, Whitney Haslam Johnson, said in a recent interview with Forbes. “We have a lot of work to do – these businesses are somewhat like startup businesses – but 2028 can’t get here soon enough, and we can’t wait to watch these incredible athletes play.”

Columbus’ NWSL team will play at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, a stadium equipped with natural grass and 21,700 seats. Back in 2001, the stadium opened in downtown Columbus, and it currently serves as the home of the Columbus Crew. Before the NWSL team starts playing in the stadium, Haslam Sports Group has already committed to building a dedicated training facility for them.

The upgrades at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field will also include locker rooms and other infrastructure specifically designed for the NWSL team. Furthermore, the city of Columbus and Franklin County have approved a combined $50 million in public funding to support these renovations.