The National Women`s Soccer League`s Boston franchise has officially announced its team name as Boston Legacy Football Club. This decision follows a previous name, BOS Nation FC, which faced negative feedback upon its initial announcement.
Boston was granted an NWSL expansion team in September 2023, giving them a longer period to prepare for their inaugural season compared to other new franchises. Denver NWSL, the league`s 16th expansion team announced in January, will also begin playing in 2026. The name change to Boston Legacy FC comes after a marketing campaign for BOS Nation FC was poorly received.
Team owner Jennifer Epstein stated, “Our name is just the start. Dedication, commitment, and hard work will bring it to life. We want our values to reflect Boston`s competitive spirit, passion, and pride, while honoring the pioneers of women`s professional soccer in the city. We are also focused on building a future for the next generation of players and fans.”
The initial negative reaction from fans and the LGBTQ+ community to the BOS Nation FC name and marketing led the club to apologize publicly. They promised to learn from the experience and improve.
In response, the club actively sought fan input. They conducted a public survey with 1,500 fans and soccer industry experts and collected over 500 name suggestions and feedback from various channels, including advisors within the women`s soccer community.
Following the survey, over 400 individuals were invited to participate in smaller feedback sessions. These sessions helped the club define the criteria for the new name. The chosen name needed to:
- Respect Boston`s history and diverse communities
- Celebrate women`s soccer
- Appeal to a broad range of Bostonians
- Be easily understood
- Be timeless
- Avoid colonial, Revolutionary War, and nautical themes
- Not clash with existing Boston women`s professional team names
The team plans to announce their official colors and crest in the future. The name reveal suggests they are maintaining a bright green color. Boston Legacy FC`s debut will mark the return of an NWSL team to the New England area for the first time in almost ten years.
The Boston Breakers, a former NWSL team, ceased operations before the 2018 season after competing in previous women`s soccer leagues (WUSA and WPS). Now, Boston will return to the field with the name Boston Legacy FC.
Kristine Lilly, former USWNT midfielder and two-time World Cup winner, who advised the club on the renaming process, commented, “It’s always a great moment when women’s professional soccer returns to Boston. I`m excited to see Boston Legacy develop a club for a new generation while respecting the contributions of those who came before. This is an exciting time for women’s soccer, and I look forward to supporting Boston Legacy.”
