Columbus to welcome NWSL team amid funding concerns
2 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Jun 7, 2026, 11:00 AM
Last updated Jun 7, 2026
Columbus has been selected as the home for the National Women’s Soccer League’s 18th team, set to debut in 2028. The ownership group, including billionaires Jimmy and Dee Haslam, has committed a record $205 million expansion fee. However, concerns about funding and facilities have surfaced as the city navigates the financial implications of this expansion. Local officials are in discussions regarding a $50 million request for a training facility and upgrades to the existing stadium, which the new team will share with the Columbus Crew. Community sentiment is mixed as residents balance excitement with apprehension over potential costs.
- •Columbus is confirmed as the NWSL's 18th team location for 2028.
- •Ownership group includes billionaires Jimmy and Dee Haslam.
- •Expansion fee of $205 million is a record for the NWSL.
- •Concerns about a $50 million funding request for facilities have surfaced.
- •Community discussions highlight mixed feelings about the new team.
- 11:00 AMYahoo Sports — ‘It leaves a bad taste in my mouth’: Columbus embraces NWSL while questioning the cost
- 11:00 AMThe Guardian Sport — ‘It leaves a bad taste in my mouth’: Columbus embraces NWSL while questioning the cost
"A $205m expansion team is the latest step in the league’s rapid growth, but conflicts over funding and facilities show the tensions of public-private unions in sports Sports fans’ connection to their team of choice is usually strengthened by high points – wins, championships and the like. For Emily Kegg and thousands of other Columbus Crew fans, their connection was reinforced by a potential loss of their team itself. When the Crew’s then-ownership group and Major League Soccer threatened to relocate the team to Texas in 2017, Kegg and her family were eager to join the grassroots movement to Save the Crew. They made friends through the effort to keep the team in the city, bonding over a shared love of soccer. In late 2018, when a new ownership group announced it intended to buy the team and keep it in Columbus, Kegg decided to stay involved. Now she’s the community director of the Nordecke, the supporters’ group of just under 600 members that coalesced during Save the Crew. Continue reading...
"A $205m expansion team is the latest step in the league’s rapid growth, but conflicts over funding and facilities show the tensions of public-private unions in sports
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsJun 7, 2026, 11:00 AM‘It leaves a bad taste in my mouth’: Columbus embraces NWSL while questioning the cost
A $205m expansion team is the latest step in the league’s rapid growth, but conflicts over funding and facilities show the tensions of public-private unions in sports
- The Guardian SportJun 7, 2026, 11:00 AM‘It leaves a bad taste in my mouth’: Columbus embraces NWSL while questioning the cost
A $205m expansion team is the latest step in the league’s rapid growth, but conflicts over funding and facilities show the tensions of public-private unions in sports Sports fans’ connection to their team of choice is usually strengthened by high points – wins, championships and the like. For Emily Kegg and thousands of other Columbus Crew fans, their connection was reinforced by a potential loss of their team itself. When the Crew’s then-ownership group and Major League Soccer threatened to relocate the team to Texas in 2017, Kegg and her family were eager to join the grassroots movement to Save the Crew. They made friends through the effort to keep the team in the city, bonding over a shared love of soccer. In late 2018, when a new ownership group announced it intended to buy the team and keep it in Columbus, Kegg decided to stay involved. Now she’s the community director of the Nordecke, the supporters’ group of just under 600 members that coalesced during Save the Crew. Continue reading...
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