COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the second time in seven years, the Columbus Crew is rebranding its identity. The club unveiled its new name “Columbus SC” — dropping “Crew” from the name — and a different logo.
The organization made the rebranding official on Monday, but the Crew’s supporters section Nordecke learned of the club changing its name late last week. The team also unveiled a logo change featuring a white “C” against a black background with a gold outline.
“The current direction of our Club and our city provides a natural time to examine our identity going forward,” said Crew President & General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “Our identity and brand evolution includes a shift in our mindset to be consistent contenders on the pitch, but also includes evolving our look both in the community and across competitions. With the upcoming completion of our new, modern, dynamic stadium, our world-class OhioHealth Performance Center, and coming off an MLS Cup championship, our marks are aligned with where we are headed as a city and as an organization. We are proud to represent Columbus on the global stage of soccer and aspire to help elevate the city and honor it for what it has done for the Club. We are Columbus Soccer Club, we are The Crew, and we will always be the Black & Gold.”
Columbus SC plans to use the “Crew” as a nickname for the club.
“Recently, images have surfaced depicting a new logo for Columbus Crew SC. The Crew and the Black and Gold remain at our core, and we continue to embrace and respect our heritage while modernizing our marks as our club and the city of Columbus evolve. We look forward to revealing those in their entirety in the near future,” the Crew wrote in a statement on Twitter.
Prominent Crew fan groups like the Nordecke and Yellow Nation Army discouraged the rebranding over social media.
“The Crew has been the club’s name and heart since its inception, it has served our rallying cry when we had to save the team from relocation, and our unified cheer when we have seen victory,” the Nordecke wrote in a statement.
The #Nordecke Statement on the #Crew96 Rebrand pic.twitter.com/78K0LGY4MA
— The Nordecke ⭐⭐ (@Nordecke) May 9, 2021
The Yellow Nation Army held a protest at the Historic Crew Stadium Monday afternoon to protest the change.
HAPPENING NOW: Over the weekend, the @ColumbusCrew made it official announcing they would now become Columbus Soccer Club, after being known as The Crew for years.
In response, some fans have come out to protest the rebrand.
You can follow the full story @SpectrumNews1OH pic.twitter.com/hxg1w4dyN5— Jamilah Muhammad – Spectrum News 1 OH (@jmuhammadtv) May 10, 2021
The team has been thinking about changing its colors and name since January 2020, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
The team released a hype video over Twitter, and while some fans expressed confusion over the change, other fans gave positive comments.
“Let’s go!!! I love it! All aboard the hype train for the new era! #CREW96,” wrote one user.
The announcement comes just a few months before the Crew moves into its new stadium July 3, competing against New England.
Forever known as The Crew.
#Crew96 pic.twitter.com/HMVdc3X9Fp— Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) May 9, 2021
