Boston's new pro women's soccer team ditches name after marketing flop
After a marketing flop last fall, Boston's new professional women's soccer team will change its name, the club announced at a watch party for the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season opener Friday night.
The club, which will take the field in 2026, will ditch the name BOS Nation FC – an anagram for 'Bostonian' - which was unveiled in its October marketing campaign.
Chief Revenue Officer Amina Bulman told Boston 25 News the new name will be revealed 'in a couple weeks.'
Last year's campaign featured the slogan, 'Too Many Balls,' in reference to Boston's accomplished sports history achieved mainly by men.
'The city of champions, a legacy filled with trophies, banners, rings and balls. Old balls,' the now-ditched marketing video said. 'Boston loves its balls, but maybe there are too many balls in this town. So, let's add a new chapter to our city's legacy. New idols, new dreams and a new league to cheer for: the National Women's Soccer League.'
The campaign sparked sharp criticism and was considered offensive to the transgender community, prompting an apology from the team.
'We've been spending a ton of time listening to fans and learning from their experiences and what they're excited to see,' said Bulman, who is leading the club's rebranding. 'We've done countless focus groups, research, lots of surveying, and we really feel fan input is at the core of how we're reimagining the brand.'
General Manager Domè Guasch told Boston 25 News he is actively recruiting players and staff and is excited to play in the city of Boston at White Stadium.
'Building a home for our team not only with the stadium but down the line will come a train facility as well,' Guasch said. 'We're here to stay, and we're here for many years.'
Fans Trevor Tuplin and Mitchell Beers have been eagerly awaiting women's soccer in Boston since the city lost its pro team, the Breakers, in 2017.
'Very excited. We had season tickets to the Boston Breakers, and we're just really excited to see the women's soccer team return back to Boston,' Beers said, adding that they are purchasing season tickets for 2026 as well. 'Oh, we already have the deposit down.'
As women's sports nationally see a surge in popularity and revenue, fans at Friday night's watch party said they are thrilled to embrace that enthusiasm in their hometown.
'We started watching NWSL a decade ago, and so we saw the rise in women's sports,' Tuplin said. 'We went to the World Cup in 2019 in Paris, followed the US women win their championship, and now we're just super big fans and support equality in sports.'
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