Introducing Boston Legacy FC: NWSL expansion team announces new name
The Boston NWSL expansion club has officially renamed itself to Boston Legacy FC as of Wednesday. The change comes five months after the club's initial launch as BOS Nation FC, which swiftly faced criticism, followed by an official announcement earlier this month that the club would change the name. The team's crest and full brand identity will be released at a later date this summer.
The club's official news release describes the selection of Boston Legacy FC as keeping the focus on the city itself, 'while invoking both its long history and its importance as a hub of future innovation — a city that carries its own decades of sporting legacy, while the club aspires to create its own new legacy that is true to the city, true to the fan, and true to the sport.'
The club selected Boston Legacy FC as the new name following public surveys, feedback from team advisers and community listening sessions. The team received over 500 suggestions during the name change process.
The club said they had guiding principles based on their extensive feedback, including honoring the history of the city but also steering clear of colonial, Revolutionary War and nautical themes. Fans also wanted the name to be immediately understandable (compared to BOS Nation, which was an anagram of Bostonian) and withstand the test of time, and fans wanted to make sure the team respected the existing Boston women's pro sports teams, such as the Boston Fleet of the PWHL.
From there, Boston narrowed it down to a short list of 14 names with some ruled out due to trademark or other legal issues. Boston Legacy FC was the name that emerged, and the club said it was the name that had tested best among their surveyed fans 'in every single category by a statistically significant margin.'
Wednesday's announcement is considerably more toned down than last October's original launch, as it's clear the club decided to move forward with the name alone and announce the rest of the team's identity when it is ready. The team colors have remained unchanged from that original announcement with 'Championship Green' the primary color associated with the team and five additional accent colors selected.
Boston Legacy FC shouldn't surprise anyone, as the language around the team's identity has always embraced the long history of sporting success in Boston and New England. Changing the name does feel like a much more conservative attempt at harnessing that history compared to the October launch featuring the 'Too Many Balls' campaign, centered around men's sports and widely panned as a terrible miss on their messaging. Now, the club has been using the line 'It's a great day to start a legacy' in their various social media bios.
'Our name is just the beginning,' controlling owner Jennifer Epstein said in Wednesday's news release. 'It's what we build together, through dedication, commitment, and grit that will give it life. We aim for our values to reflect a city that breathes competition, passion, and pride, and to pay tribute to those who paved the way before us, including the gamechangers who helped build previous women's professional teams in Boston. We are also focused on the future, for the next generation of players and fans who will carry forward what we build today.'
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Stars players started trivia nights for fun. The result was a stronger team bond.
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Our superpower is delivering universally appealing, premium quality products at accessible prices that are e.l.f. clean and vegan, all double-certified by Leaping Bunny and PETA as cruelty free. We are proud to have products made in Fair Trade Certified™ facilities. Learn more at About San Diego Wave Fútbol Club San Diego Wave Fútbol Club, founded in 2021, competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Since its inception, the Wave has quickly emerged as one of the premier clubs in global women's soccer - setting the NWSL single-game attendance record, reaching the playoffs in its inaugural season, and capturing its first trophy with the 2023 NWSL Supporters Shield. In 2024, the Club continued to make history, ranking #2 worldwide in women's soccer attendance. Committed to excellence on the pitch and impact off it, the Wave is deeply rooted in the San Diego community and proudly led by the Leichtman Levine Family. The team plays its home matches at Snapdragon Stadium, a state-of-the-art venue in the heart of the city. For more information, visit About the Kansas City Current Founded in December 2020, the Kansas City Current is led by the ownership group of Angie Long, Chris Long, Brittany Mahomes and Patrick Mahomes. The team competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The Kansas City Current plays its home matches at CPKC Stadium, the first stadium purpose-built for a professional women's sports team. Named The Most Ambitious NWSL Club for two consecutive seasons by ESPN, the Current is proud of its many precedent-setting accomplishments. To receive updates on the Current, visit The National Women's Soccer League is the premier women's professional soccer league in the world featuring national team players from around the globe. The clubs are Angel City FC, Bay FC, Boston, Chicago Stars FC, Houston Dash, Kansas City Current, NJ/NY Gotham FC, North Carolina Courage, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns FC, Racing Louisville FC, San Diego Wave FC, Seattle Reign FC, Utah Royals FC, and Washington Spirit.
