The Columbus Sports Commission is hosting a rally on April 6 at City Hall to support the bid to bring an NWSL team to Columbus. The rally coincides with the City Council hearing regarding a potential deal to help fund a proposed team training facility.
Set to start at 2 p.m. on Broad Street, the rally is set to include music and games, along with “a few surprises.”
“This is a critical opportunity to celebrate and show, in a real and visible way, that the momentum behind NWSL to Columbus is strong,” said the Sport Commission in promotions for the rally.
‼️SAVE THE DATE — MONDAY, APRIL 6 ‼️
We need our Columbus community to show up to support the #NWSLtoCBUS campaign and prove that Columbus is a WOMEN’S SOCCER CITY!
📍Columbus City Hall, 90 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215
📆Monday, April 6
⏰2 p.m.
RSVP: https://t.co/DokMbahPY5pic.twitter.com/yEvIVrQcCB— NWSLtoCbus (@NWSLtoCbus) April 3, 2026
Since Haslam Sport Group confirmed it is leading a bid to bring the 18th NWSL team to Columbus, there has been a push for public support from multiple community groups and organizations, including the Sports Commission. The NWSL to Columbus petition currently has over 8,800 signatures.
The City Council hearing starts at 3 p.m. and will focus on the newly proposed permanent 2% tax on all ticketed events at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. With the potential NWSL team’s ownership group looking for $25 million from the city to help build a training facility, the tax would repay the funds provided.
Once the $25 million is fully repaid, the tax would remain as a revenue source to help the city fund areas such as human services, housing and youth programming.
Those who are interested in speaking at the hearing in person must sign up by noon April 6. Written testimonies must be emailed to Jonathan Brown at jbbrown@columbus.gov with the subject line “NWSL Public Hearing” and include the sender’s name and address. Emails are also due by noon April 6.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Sports Commission hosts rally for NWSL bid for City Council hearing
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