A year ago, the Columbus Crew Soccer Club was facing a grim reality: then-owner Precourt Sports Ventures announced that it was planning to move the team to Austin, Texas. Ultimately, a groundswell of support fans led to a nationwide #SaveTheCrew movement that kept Major League Soccer’s first franchise in Ohio. Two local families took over operating rights in January, and now the team has committed to a new stadium and a tech overhaul.
Precourt Sports Ventures cited “historical and ongoing market challenges” in its bid to move the team to Texas. If its year-long battle had been successful, Columbus would’ve been among a number of mid-tier sports markets that have lost franchises.