Boston’s incoming NWSL club has a new name, with the 2026 expansion side rebranding to Boston Legacy FC on Wednesday in a pivot from last October’s initial controversy-sparking "BOS Nation" rollout.
The NWSL approved Boston’s expansion bid to become its 15th team in September 2023, returning the league to New England after the 2018 folding of the Boston Breakers.
In a press release, the team said it arrived at Boston Legacy FC after "five months of fan listening, research, and consultation," which began by surveying 1,500 fans and brand professionals before whittling the initial list of 500 suggested names down to 14 contenders.
While some cuts were clear due to trademarks or other legal barriers, other names were discarded as they did not align with the club's core values, including "a commitment to fierce competition with the ambition to establish a generational legacy of winning" as well as "the humility to understand that you make history through the grit of day by hardworking day, mile by unrelenting mile."
Other guiding criteria the team adhered to throughout the process included avoiding "colonial, Revolutionary War, and nautical themes" and choosing a timeless name that would not require any explanation.
Ultimately, the team's mission centers around creating "a club where everyone should feel welcome, where we embrace the whole city, where we build something bigger than ourselves."
After the organization's extensive research and consulting process, Boston Legacy FC won out as the "clear winner in every single category by a statistically significant margin."
Rebrand is the first step in Boston's NWSL plan
In addition to Wednesday's name announcement, Boston's NWSL club plans to release more branding, including a team crest, in the coming months.
Calling the new name "just the beginning," Boston Legacy FC majority owner Jennifer Epstein said in a statement that "it's what we build together, through dedication, commitment, and grit, that will give [the club] life."
"I look forward to watching the Boston Legacy build a club for a new generation while honoring those who helped build the game," said USWNT icon, former Boston Breaker attacker, and team brand advisor Kristine Lilly. "It is an exciting time for women’s soccer and I look forward to cheering on the Boston Legacy."
As of Tuesday, the NWSL is reportedly in exclusive talks to make Denver the home of the league's 16th team, with the Colorado city beating out bids from Cincinnati and Cleveland, the other two finalists previously announced by the league.
While the NWSL has yet to offer any details or timeline or even confirm the move, if true, Denver will join fellow expansion franchise Boston in making a 2026 season debut.
Led by IMA Financial Group CEO Robert Cohen, who will function as the team's control owner, the Denver NWSL bid group intends to build a soccer-specific stadium for their club. But with the runway to 2026 shortening, the group intends to secure temporary facilities while planning, designing, and constructing a permanent home.
NWSL growth leads to ballooning expansion fees
The growing league is also expected to claim a record expansion fee from its 16th team, with insiders reporting that Denver's buy-in will likely come at a $105 million to $120 million price-tag.
That sum doubles the $53 million fees that 2024 expansion team Bay FC and the incoming Boston franchise shelled out in the last round of NWSL bids from new markets.
The swelling of expansion fees also mirrors the league's exploding valuations in recent years. According to Sportico, the average NWSL club is now worth $104 million, an increase of 57% over the 2023 average. Plus, this fall's sales of both Angel City FC and the San Diego Wave saw the clubs garner purchase prices of $250 million and $113 million, respectively.
Though further expansion is not currently on the books, the NWSL's increasing value and the additional markets hungry to enter the league signal that, sooner or later, even more cities will boast NWSL clubs of their own.
Prior to Saturday's 2024 NWSL Championship game, commissioner Jessica Berman updated the media on the league's 2026 expansion plan.
With Boston already set to field the league's 15th team when the 2026 season kick off, the NWSL spent much of 2024 whittling applicant cities down to three finalists, with either Denver, Cleveland, or Cincinnati to be awarded the league's 16th franchise.
Clark joins Cincinnati expansion group
One of the final trio of markets added a big name to their roster last week, with Cincinnati confirming that 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark has bought into the ownership group vying to bring the NWSL to southwest Ohio.
"Her passion for the sport, commitment to elevating women’s sports in and around the Greater Cincinnati region, and influence as an athlete and role model for women and girls around the world make her a vital part of our compelling bid to become the 16th team in the NWSL," the group said of its latest investor.
Ohio cities lead 2026 NWSL expansion bids
Besides their new superstar investor, Cincinnati has a leg up on the competition due to the city's existing soccer infrastructure. With MLS team FC Cincinnati's ownership leading the bid for an NWSL team, the market has both soccer ownership experience and a stadium built for the sport, all ready to welcome a women's club.
Meanwhile, the ownership groups in Cleveland and Denver both aim to construct soccer stadiums while their team would initially compete in temporary venues.
Of the two, Cleveland likely has the best shot at challenging fellow Ohio city Cincinnati. The state's northeast stronghold has already procured prime downtown land with the intention of breaking ground on an NWSL stadium.
Whichever market ultimately snags the league's 16th team must prepare to ante up top dollar, as the next expansion fee could near $100 million. Boston, along with 2024 expansion club Bay FC, both cut $53 million checks to enter the league, and the NWSL has continued to see soaring valuations since the pair's 2023 invitations.
Set to take the pitch as the NWSL's 15th franchise in 2026, Boston's expansion team unveiled their official branding and promotional materials to markedly mixed reviews on Tuesday.
The team name, BOS Nation FC, is an anagram of Bostonian, a nickname the team describes as "worn proudly by millions across 23 neighborhoods and 48.4 square miles."
The city's previous pro women's soccer team, the Boston Breakers, played in the folded WUSA and WPS before competing in the NWSL from 2013 through 2017. Boston was officially awarded an NWSL expansion team in September 2023.
"Too Many Balls" campaign spurs backlash from NWSL players and fans
While enthusiasm for NWSL expansion continues, the team's "Too Many Balls" campaign drew wide criticism from fans and players alike. Many took to social media to post their concerns about the slogan's exclusionary gender-focused undertones, as well as the message's erasure of other Boston-based women's sports teams.
"As a Massachusetts native, I really want @NWSLBoston to succeed. I also want to shout out @PWHL_Boston, @BeantownRFC, and @GoRenegades as existing women's pro sports teams here to support!" posted former USWNT star Sam Mewis in response.
"The town and the players who will represent them deserve so much more," NWSL Players Association director Meghann Burke told The Athletic. "With the work that has gone into laying a strong foundation for Boston’s 2026 launch, I honestly did not perceive this team to be so unserious."
The overwhelming criticism was apparently unanticipated by the new franchise, as the team's branding release included a statement from Jennifer Epstein, the controlling owner of BOS Nation FC and a minority owner of the NBA's Boston Celtics.
"This is an important moment for women's sports in Boston — and for Bostonians to see that they are fully represented in the team name, brand identity, and even in the tongue-in-cheek tone of the unveil campaign," Epstein said in the release.
Boston team acknowledges campaign missteps
The swift critiques prompted the incoming franchise to release a statement of apology on Wednesday.
Acknowledging that the campaign "missed the mark," the team apologized to the LGBTQ+ community and, more specifically, the trans community "for the hurt we caused."
"Thank you to all who have held us accountable by calling for us to do better," the statement continued. "We hear you and we will, together."
In addition to the apology, the club removed their "Too Many Balls" campaign and merchandise from their website, as well as deleted it from most social media channels.