One of the National Women’s Soccer League’s two new franchises next year will be called the Boston Legacy Football Club, it announced Wednesday. The change comes five months after the initial name, BOS Nation FC, and marketing campaign, with the slogan “Too many balls,” drew outrage from fans.
It’s slated to debut in 2026 along with an unnamed Denver club as expansion teams, joining the current 14 franchises.
In October, the team’s ownership unveiled the BOS Nation name alongside the strange “Too many balls” branding to widespread criticism.
The team reacted this month by saying it would change the name, which was an anagram for Bostonian.
Longtime NWSL fans had started a petition to change the name. It drew more than 1,800 signatures.
The Boston club’s leaders said they spent the past five months determining what name felt best for the fans. They conducted a survey of more than 1,500 people and invited several hundred for focus groups.
Social media and marketing advisers also weighed in.
“Among the respondents, our new name was a clear winner in every single category by a statistically significant margin,” a blog post on the Boston Legacy FC website said.
The franchise previously said it wanted to avoid New England stereotypes in the new branding. Names inspired by the American Revolution or the area’s seafaring history were off the board.
“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,” Jennifer Epstein, the club’s controlling owner, said in a statement. “We are also focused on the future, for the next generation of players and fans who will carry forward what we build today.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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