in 2013, new york city fc agreed to pay a record $100 million expansion fee for the right to join mls in 2015. this record was surpassed by the ownership groups of fc cincinnati and a new nashville team, which each paid $150 million to join mls (fc cincinnati in 2019 and nashville in 2020). the same amount was paid as an effective entrance fee by a group that bought columbus crew sc in 2018, which led to that team's previous operator receiving a new team in austin, texas that will likely join mls in 2021.