The news that the NWSL will add Columbus as its 18th city in 2028 “may have dealt more than a short-term blow to hopes for other cities,” according to Jonathan Tannenwald of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. It is “now unclear when the league will expand again after 2028,” when Columbus and Atlanta will join. A bid to bring a club to Philadelphia “quietly hit difficulties before Columbus got its deal done.” The people involved with that bid still are not “willing to come forward to say who they are.” A source said that the “hurdle they’ve hit is the biggest one of all: getting a big-money backer to commit long-term to the project.” Tannenwald noted when, “or if, that does happen, the league has indicated in the past that its doors will be open.” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman in January said that she “wants a team” in Philadelphia. Tannenwald noted it was not ”the first time she’s said it” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/21).
BRAND IDENTITY: In Columbus, Kay & Laird noted the club is “being referred to as Columbus NWSL 2028 until an official team name, colors and crest are selected with input from fans.” People interested in tickets “can place a $28 deposit per seat online” (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 4/21). HSG Managing Partner Whitney Haslam Johnson said that the club’s name, colors and branding “will come in a couple of months.” Haslam-Johnson: “We want to create a brand that Columbus, all of Ohio and our bands can be really proud of” (THE ATHLETIC, 4/21).
INVESTMENT DETAILS: Kay & Laird noted the city of Columbus and Franklin County will “each contribute” $25M to be used on a new training facility at McCoy Park and upgrades to ScottsMiracleGro-Field to host a second team. The city and county will “each take out bonds for the project.” The city will “pay back its debt with a 2% ticket tax on all events at the soccer stadium and the county will use fees and other non-tax revenue.” Multiple Columbus City Council members and residents “took issue with the use of McCoy Park on the Southwest Side, as the city had previously planned to upgrade the park, which sits in one of the city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods.” As part of the public-private deal, the private ownership group has “agreed to invest” $3M in a new park and $12M back into the county “over a 12-year period focused on early childhood education, workforce development and food insecurity.” The deal also requires the team to “stay here for 25 years or money can be clawed back” (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 4/21). In Columbus, Dan Aulbach cited sources as saying that “private investment to launch the club will total more than” $300M, including the “expansion fee and costs for facilities and operation” (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 4/21).
DECISION TO COME: ESPN.com’s Jeff Kassouf noted the NWSL BOG is “expected to vote later this month on whether to switch to a fall-to-spring calendar.” Berman said that adding Columbus, a cold-weather market, “‘doesn’t in any way change the analysis’ of that decision” (ESPN.com, 4/21).
