Columbus sports fans will be familiar with the owners of the city’s new National Women’s Soccer League team.
Columbus was awarded the National Women’s Soccer League’s 18th franchise on April 21, less than two months after it was reported Haslam Sports Group had submitted a bid to bring a women’s soccer team to the city.
Columbus is expected to start play in 2028, along with Atlanta, which was awarded a franchise in November 2025. ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, the Crew’s home stadium, will host the newest NWSL team.
An expansion fee for the new franchise has yet to be announced.
Who are the Columbus NWSL team owners?
The new NWSL team’s ownership group consists of Crew and Cleveland Browns majority owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, Nationwide, Crew minority-owner Dr. Pete Edwards and Haslam Sports Group managing partners J.W. Johnson and Whitney Haslam Johnson.
Read about each of the owners’ sports ventures below.
Haslam Sports Group, Jimmy and Dee Haslam
The Haslam Sports Group has at least partial ownership of three major sports teams: the Browns, the Crew and the Milwaukee Bucks. Jimmy Haslam bought the Browns in 2012 for $1 billion and bought a majority stake in the Crew in 2019. Forbes estimated the cost of buying the Crew to be around $150 million.
In February 2023, the Haslams purchased approximately a 25% stake in the Bucks, according to ESPN.
Nationwide Insurance
The Columbus-based insurance company has made some sports ventures in recent years, including putting its name on Nationwide Arena. Nationwide has also been a principal sponsor of the Crew since 2020.
Nationwide Insurance CEO Kirt Walker said Columbus has plenty of male sports teams for boys to admire, but there’s something “really unique” about having female role models for young athletes.
“We want to have girls and young ladies to be able to celebrate heroes as well,” Walker said.
Dr. Pete Edwards and Dr. Christine Edwards
Dr. Pete Edwards and Dr. Christine Edwards, Crew minority owners, helped buy the team in 2019 along with the Haslams when the previous owner sought to move the Crew. Dr. Pete Edwards, an orthopedic surgeon, was previously the team doctor for the Crew.
J.W. Johnson and Whitney Haslam Johnson
Married couple J.W. Johnson and Whitney Haslam Johnson both have roles with HSG.
According to his bio on the Browns’ website, J.W. Johnson, a managing partner of HSG, helps lead the strategic direction of the Browns’ business side, “particularly focused on media, marketing, partnerships, fan experience and digital content.”
Whitney Haslam Johnson is also a managing partner with HSG. Her HSG website bio states, “Whitney’s vision and direction helps lead the family-run business, utilizing her expertise in communications, marketing, brand, fan and team member experiences to influence every major decision related to the organizational ethos of win-fan-community.”
Dispatch reporter Jordan Laird contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Learn about Columbus NWSL team ownership group, including Haslams
Reporting by Dan Aulbach, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
