Women's Sports

BOS Nation FC acknowledges ‘revisiting our team name is essential’ in statement

"The name and campaign are intertwined failures," noted one response to the team's fan survey. "Fixing one without addressing the other won't solve the problem."

BOS Nation Boston NWSL statement
A view of BOS Nation fans at the Boston NWSL team's launch event at Dick's House of Sports in October. Barry Chin/Globe Staff

Less than three months after unveiling its name and branding, the NWSL Boston expansion team currently known as “BOS Nation FC” appears to be heading for a reset.

The club, which was recently back in the news after announcing the hiring of a former FC Barcelona executive to be the club’s first general manager, and also inking a 10-year lease with the city of Boston to help renovate and then play in White Stadium, provided an “update to our community” on Monday night.

In it, the club said it has “made significant progress in listening, learning, and collaborating with you—our fans, supporters, and partners.”

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And in a statement from controlling owner Jennifer Epstein, she acknowledged that reworking the polarizing team name is a specific priority.

“We’re grateful to our community and fans for their openness and willingness to share their perspectives,” wrote Epstein, adding that “we hear you.”

“Your voices have made it clear that revisiting our team name is essential,” she continued, “and we’re fully committed to building a club identity that reflects the ambition of a women’s professional soccer team in Boston. This process takes time and thoughtful input, and as we approach a formal update, we’ll be sure to keep you informed.”

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The club said it has received “over 1,000 responses” to a feedback survey (which remains open until Jan. 5), providing snippets of the criticism. Most of the comments centered around the name and the controversial “Too Many Balls” marketing campaign that infamously accompanied the team name announcement in October, which the club walked back less than 24 hours later in a statement.

“The name and campaign are intertwined failures,” read one comment. “Fixing one without addressing the other won’t solve the problem.”

Most of the publicly available comments centered on the team name and the prevailing desire to see it changed.

Still, there were also comments reflecting the latent potential of a Boston fanbase if the current issues were resolved.

“I love the NWSL and want the league and all the expansion teams to flourish,” noted one commenter. “Please listen to the fans and make changes—we want this team to succeed.”

The Boston expansion team — whatever its name ends up being — is still set to take the field for its inaugural season in 2026, marking the region’s return to the top U.S. women’s league following the folding of the Boston Breakers in 2018.

Hayden Bird

Sports Staff

Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.

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