How Columbus won their 2028 NWSL expansion bid

Full Time: A show about women's soccer · Apr 22, 2026 · 44m

The NWSL officially has its 18th team. On Tuesday, commissioner Jess Berman announced that Columbus would be joining the league in 2028. The Athletic also understands that the ownership group, Haslam Sports Group (HSG), Nationwide and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards, have paid a record $205 million in expansion fees to make that happen.

So, how did Columbus win the race to be the NWSL’s 18th team? What was behind their pitch, and what do they intend to bring to the league?

On this episode of Full Time, hosts Jillian Sakovits and Tamerra Griffin were joined by Asli Pelit and Melanie Anzidei to…