Boston women's pro soccer team gets its name: BOS Nation Football Club

For over a year, National Women’s Soccer League fans in Boston have had to fill in the blank when referring to the name of their young team.

That finally changed Tuesday when the team officially unveiled its proper title: BOS Nation Football Club.

“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,” said Jennifer Epstein, controlling owner of BOS Nation FC, in a statement.

That tone she mentioned refers to a campaign cheekily titled “Too Many Balls,” meant to bring attention to a historic lack of women’s professional athletes in the city.

The team also announced that actress Elizabeth Banks and Olympian Aly Raisman have joined the team’s investment group.

BOS Nation FC is set to begin play in 2026 in a revamped White Stadium in partnership with the city. According to the team, the plan is to make White Stadium the first all-electric stadium in North America. Updates to the stadium would also allow for a more proper home for Boston Public Schools athletics, the soccer team has said.

Speaking at an event celebrating the unveiling of the team’s name at Dick’s House of Sport on Boylston Street on Tuesday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu celebrated the connection between the city and team.

“Today we are kicking off a name, but it’s really much more than that,” Wu said. “This is about a legacy that is starting from the very beginning. And it reflects the hours and months and so much heart that has gone into this team. This team of founders, this team of supporters, really envisioning a different way to build a partnership.”

But not everyone was thrilled about the BOS Nation FC name. There was a sometimes less than enthusiastic response online to the name reveal and marketing campaign, including from the NWSL Boston Independent Supporters Association. Frustrations ranged from unhappiness with BOS Nation FC not including other local women’s teams more prominently in its rollout to not being pleased with the double entendre of its marketing campaign to accusations of transphobia.

On Wednesday, the club distanced itself from the “Too Many Balls” campaign, saying in a statement that it didn’t “reflect the safe and welcoming environment” the club is striving to create. It also apologized to the LGBTQ+ community and the trans community in particular.

At the event on Tuesday, speaking on the criticism the team received of not including other women’s teams in the name reveal video, Epstein said the idea was to move away from gender, pointing out that many of Boston’s sport icons are men.

“And it’s time that we start a new era where in our city we have those iconic male athletes and we also have the female athletes alongside them,” Epstein said. “And that includes the Boston Fleet and the Boston Renegades and it will include our new team, BOS Nation FC. So it was meant to be the dawning of a new day for all of the women’s teams here in Boston.”

Then there are those who are concerned about BOS Nation FC planning to use White Stadium as its home pitch. That has drawn dissent from some local residents, who claim that it would essentially privatize the stadium.

A judge denied a request for an injunction and restraining order against that plan earlier this year. Still, the plaintiffs in that case are continuing their pursuit of legal action. Among their concerns are the potential environmental impacts of a professional team on the surrounding area and the possibility of increased traffic.

“The plan to tear down White Stadium and rebuild it as a private sports and entertainment complex is fatally flawed, and a new team name won’t change that,” said Renee Stacey Welch, one of plaintiffs in the case, in a statement issued Tuesday.

The demolition proposal backed by Wu is set to bring extensive renovations to the stadium.

BOS Nation FC isn’t the only team to get a proper title recently: Boston’s Professional Women’s Hockey League team, the Fleet, announced their name last month after completing their first season as PWHL Boston.