BOS Nation women's soccer team renamed as Boston Legacy Football Club
BOS Nation is no more. Boston's team in the National Women's Soccer League officially announced its new name on Wednesday: Boston Legacy Football Club.
The rebranding comes just five months after the expansion club announced the BOS Nation name, which didn't do much to enamor local soccer fans. The organization also had to apologize after its "Too Many Balls" campaign created a storm of criticism around the new franchise.
Part of the reason the franchise previously went with "BOS Nation" was because it was an anagram for "Bostonian," but the name was not well received. The organization is hoping this new moniker will be a hit.
"The name keeps the focus on Boston 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 franchise said in a statement to announce the new name.
"Our name is just the beginning," said club controlling owner Jennifer Epstein. "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."
Boston Legacy FC will begin playing in 2026 and is set to hit the pitch at the White Stadium in Franklin Park. A new logo has not yet been revealed.
Boston Legacy FC renaming process
The club formally known as BOS Nation heard all the criticism and complaints about the original name and immediately set out to right its wrong. The renaming process began with a survey of 1,500 fans and soccer brand professionals. After the club received more than 500 suggestions through survey respondents and feedback from social media, over 400 people were then invited to attend a smaller session where they could give more detailed feedback.
The guidelines for the new name were pretty simple and standard. It had to "honor the rich history and diverse communities of Boston" while celebrating women's soccer, and it couldn't include colonial or nautical themes (like the Boston Fleet of the PWHL) or references from the Revolutionary War (the New England Revolution have a hold on that). The club also wanted a new name that required no explanation.
After collaborating with brand leaders in the women's soccer community, the prospective names were whittled down to 14. From there, the organization turned to quantitative testing through an external analytics and market research firm, which surveyed 1,000 people. All respondents were over the age of 18 and had displayed interest in Boston women's soccer from a previous survey.
"Among the respondents, our new name was a clear winner in every single category by a statistically significant margin," Boston Legacy FC said.
