Taxpayers, Fireworks, and the NWSL Griddle: Columbus Roars Into 2028

The air is thick like hickory smoke in a closed garage, the kind that makes you believe in a good Saturday. Then the news lands like a lifted F-150 climbing a curb: Columbus just won an NWSL expansion franchise, with play set to begin in 2028 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.

NWSL awards Columbus its 18th expansion team, set for 2028

This is straightforward and hot: the NWSL is placing its 18th franchise in Columbus. Nationwide reports the ownership group includes Haslam Sports Group and the Edwards family, and the expectation is that the club starts in the 2028 NWSL season at the Crew home. Sports Business Journal adds that the consortium led by Haslam Sports Group is paying a record $205 million expansion fee.

The park fight, where residents ask for receipts

But the story is not just matchday. WOSU reports Columbus City Council approved a $25 million agreement for team facilities and training space tied to McCoy Park, passed in a 5 to 3 vote. Residents criticized the plan for forfeiting a park meant to become therapeutic recreation space for people with disabilities.

In response, the owners would pledge $3 million to help fund a replacement park. The agreement includes milestones, including an opening by the end of 2027.

Taxpayer risk, built into the fine print

For anyone who likes their deals with a budget thermometer, the city plans to recoup its contribution through ticket revenue at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. WOSU says the Crew admissions fee would rise from 5% to 7% for Crew events, with an additional 2% from other events going toward repayment.

WOSU also reports Columbus and Franklin County each approved $25 million in contributions, meaning the public side is carrying real risk. So the villain here is not the athletes or the sport. It is the dealmaking class that treats transparency like a suggestion and timelines like a negotiable rumor.

If the replacement park schedule slips, or public access gets squeezed, the entire pitch weakens. That is why people demanding accountability are not anti-soccer. They are pro-community.

Now tell me, are you cheering the NWSL expansion into 2028, or side-eyeing the taxpayer tab like you would side-eye someone who keeps flipping the grill control after saying it was set?