A National Women's Soccer League expansion team is coming to Columbus starting in 2028.
The announcement was made Tuesday afternoon at the ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, which is home to the Columbus Crew. The women's team will also play its games at the stadium.
An ownership group led by the Haslam Sports Group paid an expansion fee of $205 million, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the financial details.
鈥淭his 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鈥檚 sports," NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement. "We鈥檙e excited to bring the world鈥檚 most competitive women鈥檚 soccer league to Columbus and to see this community embrace the game in a new way.鈥�
The NWSL franchise's ownership group includes the insurance company Nationwide and Crew minority owners Pete and Christine Edwards.
The announcement came after the Columbus City Council approved a $25 million deal Monday night for team facilities and a training space at McCoy Park in southwest Columbus. The team's owners have pledged $3 million to build a replacement for the park.
City Council members made changes to an agreement to support a bid for a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team before approving legislation in a 5-3 vote. Hardin, along with council members Nick Bankston, Emmanuel Remy, Tiara Ross and Christopher Wyche voted to approve the agreement. Council members Nancy Day-Achauer, Melissa Green and Rob Dorans voted against the agreement. Council member Lourdes Barroso de Padilla abstained from voting.
Columbus will host the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup between the Kansas City Current and Gotham FC on June 26. That game was announced last month.
Last month, Columbus also hosted the SheBelieves Cup, an international women's soccer team, which featured the U.S. Women's National Team.
The U.S. squad has since 1993.
Historic Crew Stadium hosted six group stage games during 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, including a 3-0 U.S. win over North Korea.