Naming a new franchise isn’t the easiest thing. Just ask Utah Hockey Club in the NHL who’ve been agonizing over theirs for the past few months. Now in the NWSL, Boston is gearing up for the launch of their first franchise. However, the first iteration of a potential name—”BOS Nation FC”—didn’t quite land well. It was launched with the cheeky tagline, “Too Many Balls.” But, unfortunately, the whole thing fell flat almost instantly as it hit the ground. It was the fans; they were not very happy with the new name and the campaign, and it looks like their complaints have been heard.

And well, the club has indeed ditched the old name to come up with something else. The rebranding was announced by Boston’s 2026 National Women’s Soccer League officials. The team revealed that Boston NWSL is now “Boston Legacy Football Club.” The team has finally arrived at a replacement, five months after a rough start with their original branding. The team has further stated that the crest and wordmark are still in the works and will be revealed in the coming months.

Before this, Jennifer Epstein ended the talks that surrounded the Bos Nation. Epstein stated that Boston’s NWSL team would officially change its name after receiving “honest and critical feedback” from fans. Now rebranded as Boston Legacy FC, the club says the new name honors the city’s deep history while reflecting its role as a pillar for future innovation. Speaking about it, the team stated, “Many names — some popular — were unavailable for legal or trademark reasons, while others missed the majority of our guiding criteria,” the team wrote on their website.

And now that the rebranding is done, we see a new debate sparking on the internet. Reddit is on fire, as fans drop in mixed reactions to this new branding of the club’s name.

Boston FC’s Rebranding: Fans are dropping mixed reactions about the new NWSL franchise

Boston FC has officially rebranded, and to their credit, they listened to the backlash. While the name isn’t wildly creative, it’s fair to say it saved it from the disastrous ‘Bosnation.’ And it’s good that the club took the feedback seriously and made the changes. Shows their integrity towards their fans. One wrote, “Just saw the email and came running! I know it’s not the most original name, but can’t believe they actually listened and changed it. I’m happy with it!”

But then draw attention to the possibility of nicknames. The fan stated, “It’s bland until someone in Boston starts calling them ‘the Legs,’ which will happen in roughly 3-5 days.” With the way sports teams’ names often get shortened, this fan might be onto something…

However, there’s still a loop here! The team had a golden opportunity to discuss it with fans, discuss it with them, and make a name that would genuinely be rooted in its culture. One fan asked, “Why does this whole thing feel so second rate? The athletes, fans, and community deserve better. It’s a bland, uninspired name. Google Boston Legacy and the top result is obituaries.”

Another added, “They had a chance after Bosnation to really knock something out of the park. They could’ve asked for community suggestions, have people vote on a few choices, leak a bunch of suggestions and see how they do. Pick something related to the city and larger community. Just feels like a slight step up from Bosnation.” It does feel like a bit of a missed opportunity now; if they were going to rename then why not bring the fans in on it as well, if they were so attuned to fan feedback?

And some fans thought the franchise was trying too hard to mimic European soccer clubs. “I’m also tired of the trend to try to make new soccer teams in the states more ‘Euro’ sounding. Enough with the FCs. Gimme a mascot! Gimme some alliteration! Gimme some local history!” Well, yes, we see the difference here. FCs do not bring the very roots of what the team mirrors. It doesn’t hold the power.

But while all that remains a debate, it’s still a good sign that they listened. A fan wrote, “It’s fine. They listened and went pretty safe without going full boredom (Boston FC). Time to build a strong community now, otherwise ‘legacy’ is gonna look silly.” That said, names are just words until fans make them their own. If Boston supporters embrace it and turn “the Legs” into a real, beloved identity (because you know that nickname is coming), the skepticism could fade.