The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC and briefly Columbus SC, are an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference and began play in 1996 as one of the 10 charter clubs of the league. The team is currently operated by an ownership group led by the Haslam family (also owners of the Cleveland Browns) and former team physician Pete Edwards. The Haslam/Edwards group is the third ownership group in club history.