Billionaire Browns owners spend $200m to bring expansion team to Ohio amid contentious plan

Apr 22, 2026 - 15:30

Columbus will be home to the NWSL’s newest expansion team, with Haslam Sports Group (HSG) set to add to its already impressive portfolio.

The 18th team is expected to join the top flight of US women’s professional soccer in 2028, and will be owned by the same consortium that oversees the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer.

(From Left) Dr. Christine Edwards, Whitney Haslam, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman and Kirt Walker, CEO of Nationwide Insurance, pose for a photograph prior to a press conference announcing a new NWSL team at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on April 21, 2026 — Ohio has landed the NWSL’s latest expansion team

That collection of owners is led by HSG, which also owns the Cleveland Browns of the NFL, and a stake in the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA.

Browns owners strike record deal to bring NWSL to Ohio

A new team in Columbus won’t come cheap, though.

Jimmy and Dee Haslam, part of the Haslem family estimated to be worth $14.4 billion, have paid a record $205 million expansion fee, according to a report from Front Office Sports.

The team is yet to be named, but will play at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, the 20,000-capacity home stadium of the Crew.

Columbus’ franchise will enter the NWSL in two year’s time alongside the incoming Atlanta team, which is owned by Arthur Blank.

NFL quarterback Caleb Williams, meanwhile, is an investor in another team.

Blank is also owner of MLS’s Atlanta United and the Atlanta Falcons, and he paid a $165m expansion fee in late 2025.

The Haslams have topped that number by $40m, and the $205m they paid is also more money than all but two MLS ownership groups shelled out to enter that league.

Speaking Tuesday, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman noted that women’s soccer is continuing to grow rapidly, and that bringing a team to Ohio was a ‘natural’ step.

“As the NWSL continues its rapid growth, expanding to Columbus is a natural next step,” Berman said.

Owner Jimmy Haslam signs autographs before the game with his wife Dee Haslam at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 24, 2016 — Jimmy and Dee Haslam paid a record expansion fee to bring NWSL to Columbus

“This is a city with a rich soccer tradition, a proven track record of support at the highest level, and an ownership group making meaningful, long-term investments in women’s sports.

“We’re excited to bring the world’s most competitive women’s soccer league to Columbus and to see this community embrace the game in a new way.”

Columbus preparing for arrival of new soccer franchise

Columbus City Council on Monday voted in favor of a public-private deal that would allow the billionaire Haslam family to build a new practice facility at McCoy Park, south of downtown, if they were to win the NWSL expansion bid.

The contentious plan, which was met with resistance locally, was approved Tuesday, ahead of the official NWSL announcement.

According to Front Office Sports, it requires $25m each from the city and Franklin County, while the Haslams will commit at least $3m to the park project.

That public figure will be funded by ticket fees for events at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, and will go toward building the new practice facility and making upgrades to the stadium to accommodate a women’s team.

General view inside the stadium during the MLS match between Columbus Crew and Orlando City SC at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on April 12, 2026 — The new NWSL team will share ScottsMiracle-Gro Field with the MLS’s Crew

As part of home stadium renovations, HSG said they will look to build a new locker room, specifically for the NWSL team.

“Our family is thrilled to help bring an NWSL team to Columbus and further invest in Ohio, with the honor of bringing the 18th team into the league,” Haslam Sports Group Managing Partner, Whitney Haslam Johnson, said Tuesday.

“We believe in the power of women’s sports and are humbled to be part of the number one women’s soccer league in the world.

“Sports are one of today’s greatest unifiers and are incredible for their communities.

Whitney Haslam speaks to members of the media during a press conference announcing a new NWSL team in Columbus at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on April 21, 2026 — Whitney Haslam believes the new NWSL team will have an impact for generations to come

“The NWSL will have a significant impact on Columbus within and beyond sports, now and for future generations.”

Fans are already encouraged to become ‘Columbus NWSL 2028 Founding Members’ and secure their seats for the historic first season.

A rally to celebrate Ohio’s future franchise will also be held at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on May 9.

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