Columbus Crew.

The Columbus Crew is an American soccer team and part of Major League Soccer (MLS). It was one of the first ten soccer teams established for MLS in 2014, when it was owned by major investors Lamar Hunt and his family. The Crew held its first game on April 13, 1996, at Ohio State University’s Ohio Stadium, which would be its home field for three seasons. After the Crew caught on, city officials announced that they would build a new stadium within the Ohio Expo Center. It would be the first stadium in the United States designed specifically for professional soccer. Construction lasted for one year and the stadium opened on May 15, 1999. The team won its first MLS Cup in 2008 and a second in 2020. During its years of play, the Crew saw an ongoing rotation in its players, ownership, and coaching staff. As of 2018, the team was owned by a partnership between Jimmy and Dee Haslam, who owned the Cleveland Browns, and Peter H. Edwards, Jr. In 2021, the Crew received a makeover. That year, a second new stadium opened for them, known as “Lower.com Field.” In addition, the team took on its newest logo, a yellow-and-black pentagon with a large white “C” for the team and city name, and the number “96” signifying the team’s debut year in MLS.