Columbus builds "women's sports capital" momentum
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Hosting the SheBelieves Cup capped a big week for women's sports in Columbus. Photo: Andrew King/Axios
Momentum appears to be building toward Mayor Andrew Ginther's ambition of making Columbus the nation's capital for women's sports.
Why it matters: Women's sports are exploding in popularity — and in revenue — as cities across the country vie for expansion franchises and the "capital" moniker.
Driving the news: The last week has been significant for women's sports in Columbus.
- Haslam Sports Group, which owns the Crew, has confirmed reports it is exploring a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) expansion franchise here.
- At a press conference Wednesday, city leaders announced the "initiative to make Columbus the nation's capital for women's sports" would be called IgniteHER Columbus.
- That night, ScottsMiracle-Gro Field hosted the U.S. Women's National Team and two matches of the SheBelieves Cup.
Expansion interest from HSG, which also owns the Cleveland Browns and co-owns the Milwaukee Bucks, is just one indicator that sports executives are seeing dollar signs in the industry.
- Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, reportedly paid a record $165 million last year for rights to the NWSL's 17th franchise.
- "With the growth of women's sports and the NWSL, the prospect of an expansion franchise for the City of Columbus, Franklin County and passionate soccer fans across Ohio is incredibly appealing," HSG said in a statement.
The big picture: Columbus is part of a nationwide arms race to fund, cultivate, promote and financially capitalize on women's sports as they become more lucrative than ever.
- Nationwide Arena will host the 2027 Women's Final Four in basketball and the 2027 DI Women's Volleyball Championship.
- In November, Columbus spent $500,000 to keep the Fury pro volleyball team in town through 2030.
Reality check: Amid the progress, Columbus is still playing catch-up.
- The Fury is our only truly professional women's team, while cities like Chicago, D.C., Minneapolis, New York, San Diego and Seattle boast three or more.
- We're also home to the Chaos (football), Eagles (soccer), Squirrels (rugby) and Ohio Roller Derby.
The bottom line: IgniteHER, a partnership between the city and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, is working on it.
- In addition to drawing events like USWNT matches and major college tournaments, the group identified four pillars that will guide its mission: keeping girls in sports, growing fandoms, cultivating business and civic leaders, and driving investment in women's sports.
A marquee night
One event can't turn Columbus into a women's sports powerhouse overnight, but it can showcase the strides the city has made.
At Wednesday's match, 18,545 fans demonstrated that women's sports opportunities go beyond just local franchises.
- The USWNT is the most popular women's soccer team in the country, arguably more popular than its male counterpart.
State of play: Columbus already has an outsized role in the history of the men's team — early adoption of the Crew and Columbus-hosted national team matches helped cultivate the next generation of boys in soccer.
- The women's team is making a similar impact.
Case in point: The mother-daughter duo of Jessica and Topanga Farlow braved a rainy night and a long drive to attend.
- "We're from Sandusky, two hours away — it brought us here," Jessica said.
- Topanga, a soccer player from middle school to college, has been going to USWNT games for nearly a decade, and says she "can already see the difference" in the women's game's growth.
What they're saying: Topanga says women prominently featured on the big stage make for a different environment for girls growing up in athletics — she remembers when she "could hardly find a game" on TV.
- "It helps, advertising it and showing these games and having games in the area."
- Jessica finished her thought: "Girls can do it, too."
