Columbus Crew Soccer Club is 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 ten charter clubs of the league. The team is currently being operated by an ownership group led by the Haslam family and former team doctor Pete Edwards. The Haslam/Edwards group is the third owner in club history.