Columbus was awarded a National Women's Soccer League franchise on Tuesday that will begin play in 2028 and bring the league to 18 teams.
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.
The Columbus NWSL team will join the league in 2028 along with an expansion team in Atlanta, which was awarded the league's 17th franchise in November for a reported expansion fee of $165 million.
In addition to the Crew, the Haslam Group also owns the NFL's Cleveland Browns and has a stake in the Milwaukee Bucks.
“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," NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement. "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.”
The NWSL franchise's ownership group includes the insurance company Nationwide and Crew minority owners Pete and Christine Edwards.
The new NWSL team will share ScottsMiracle-Gro Field with the Crew. The stadium will be refurbished to accommodate the needs of the women's team. The owners also plan to build a new training facility for the NWSL team.
The Haslam Group's bid included $50 million in public funds for the training facility, $25 million from the city and $25 million from the county.
The facility drew criticism because it is to be built at a park in an underserved community that was going to be renovated by the city. Instead, the new NWSL owners will contribute toward a new park for the community.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Jessica Berman, commissioner of the National Women's Soccer League, speaks at a news conference, Jan. 30, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Former Premier League champion Leicester will be playing in the third tier of English soccer next season.
Leicester, which sealed the unlikeliest title win of the Premier League era in 2016 at odds of 5,000-1, needed a victory Tuesday to maintain hope of avoiding relegation but drew 2-2 with Hull.
The midlands club, which also won the FA Cup in 2021 and played in England’s top flight last season, is second to last in the second-tier Championship.
In a statement to fans, Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, said responsibility sat with him.
“There are no excuses,” he said. “We have experienced the highest highs and now the lowest lows, and the pain is shared by all of us. I am truly sorry for the disappointment we have caused.”
Relegation comes after Leicester was docked six points in February for breaching the English Football League’s financial rules when it earned promotion in the 2023-24 season. Earlier this month, it lost its bid to overturn that punishment, leaving it mired in the relegation zone.
It is a dramatic fall after Leicester's fairytale-like title triumph 10 years ago.
It had spent the 2014-15 season battling relegation from the top flight and only an unlikely winning run in the final weeks of that campaign.
What followed was a remarkable title charge that saw it finish 10 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the standings.
In 142 years of existence, Leicester has played just one season in the third tier of English soccer. It won the League One title in 2008-09 and was promoted back to the Championship.
Slipping down English soccer's pyramid is costly mainly because of the decreasing broadcast revenue.
In the 2023-24 season, League One clubs’ average total revenue was $12.2 million, which was about one-quarter of Championship clubs’ average revenue, according to Deloitte. The average revenue for Premier League clubs that season was $422 million.
“Our focus now is on what comes next. We will take the necessary decisions to move the club forward, working together to rebuild, improve, and restore the standards expected of Leicester City,” Srivaddhanaprabha said. “Our objective is clear — to respond strongly and compete to move this club forward again.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Leicester City's Patson Daka reacts after the English Championship soccer match against Hull City in Leicester, England, Tuesday April 21, 2026. (Jacob King/PA via AP)
Leicester City's Patson Daka reacts after the English Championship soccer match against Hull City in Leicester, England, Tuesday April 21, 2026. (Jacob King/PA via AP)
Leicester City's Jannik Vestergaard reacts after the English Championship soccer match against Hull City in Leicester, England, Tuesday April 21, 2026. (Jacob King/PA via AP)
