The NWSL is continuing to grow, and NWSL Boston is on its way. The new club, which is set to be the 15th franchise in the NWSL, unveiled its name and branding in an event on Tuesday.
The team is called BOS Nation Football Club (BOS Nation is an anagram for “Bostonian”) and debuted with a unique campaign entitled “Too Many Balls.” The team’s primary colors are green and black.
“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,” Jennifer Epstein, controlling owner of BOS Nation FC, said in a news release.
Boston was awarded an expansion bid a year ago, and will begin play in 2026. Another city is also set to receive an expansion bid, with NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman telling ESPN in April that the league plans to announce a 16th team before the end of 2024. That team would also start in 2026, with cities like Cincinnati, Denver and Cleveland currently competing for the spot.
The league added its 13th and 14th clubs this past season with the addition of Bay FC and the Utah Royals.
BOS Nation’s investors include former Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman and actress and producer Elizabeth Banks.
“I am thrilled to join this female-led ownership group, each of whom has made a remarkable impact in Boston,” Banks said in a statement. “The inspiring team of investors, along with their mission-driven vision for the stadium, will leave a lasting legacy on future generations of women’s athletes and fans.”
The new team will mark the second iteration of a Boston franchise in the NWSL — the Boston Breakers, one of the NWSL’s inaugural clubs when the league was formed in 2013, folded in 2018.
BOS Nation FC is a separately-run organization from the Breakers, led by Boston Unity Soccer Partners (BUSC). BUSC is an all-female ownership group — one of few in the NWSL — and the leadership has local ties to Boston.