Columbus is betting big on women’s sports — and the payoff is already here

April 2, 2026

When the Columbus Fury take the court at Nationwide Arena, the energy in the building is hard to ignore. The crowd is loud, the athletes are electric, and the stakes feel real — because they are.

The Fury are the newest professional women’s team in Ohio, but they’re far from the last. Women’s sports are having a moment across the country, and Columbus isn’t just watching from the sidelines. The city is planting its flag.

In 2027, central Ohio will host not one, but two major NCAA women’s championships — the Women’s Final Four in April and the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship in December. Add to that the professional women’s teams already calling Ohio home in volleyball, soccer, football and basketball, and it’s clear: this isn’t a trend. It’s a movement.

Regan Pittman knows what it means to compete at the highest level. The middle blocker for the Columbus Fury played in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Final Four in 2019 with the University of Minnesota. But her path to professional volleyball wasn’t exactly straightforward.

After college, Pittman retired — for three years. The reason? She didn’t want to play overseas, and at the time, that was the only option. SPECTRUM NEWS