Columbus Crew was founded in 1994 as the first club in Major League Soccer and played its first season in 1996. The Crew played at Ohio Stadium from 1996-1999 before moving into Historic Crew Stadium – the first professional soccer-specific stadium in the country – in 1999.
On Dec. 28, 2018, Dee, Jimmy and the Haslam family — along with the Edwards family — reached an agreement with the MLS to become the MLS owners of the Columbus Crew, keeping the team from relocating out of the state of Ohio. They officially assumed an ownership position in the MLS and began operating the Columbus Crew SC in January 2019. Soon after, the Columbus Crew began construction on their new home, Lower.com Field. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on June 29, 2021, and the stadium hosted its first game on July 3, 2021.
A three-time MLS Cup winner (2008, 2020, 2023), the Crew has also won one Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2002) as well as three MLS Supporters’ Shield titles (2004, 2008,2009). The Black & Gold won their first international trophy on September 19, 2021, as they defeated Liga MX side Cruz Azul 2-0 at Lower.com Field to win the 2021 Campeones Cup.
