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    Crew Rebrands to “Columbus Soccer Club” and Fans React

    The soccer team formerly known as the Columbus Crew SC formally announced a reband this afternoon, moving the team forward with a new look, new logo and new name. The Major League Soccer team headquartered here in the city will now be known as “Columbus Soccer Club” or “Columbus SC” for short.

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    “The current direction of our Club and our city provides a natural time to examine our identity going forward,” stated Crew President & General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko in a press release issued this afternoon. “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.”

    Many long-time fans and supporters were surprised to learn over the weekend that the Crew name was being dropped formally from the team’s identity, although the club is stressing that “The Crew” will remain as an informal nickname. According to today’s press release, the C in the logo “represents the Crew primarily and also Columbus.”

    The branding is the first major update for the team since October 2014, when the club’s popular badge was rolled out and “SC” was added to the team’s name.

    A very informal Twitter poll conducted earlier today by Columbus Underground garnered primarily negative responses with over 90 comments at the time of publishing.

    Additionally, The Nordecke fan community issued a statement condemning the move.

    “The Nordecke is deeply saddened by the decision to rebrand the club, in the process stripping it of its name and heritage,” stated the release. “The Crew has been the club’s name and heart since its inception, it has served as our rallying cry when we had to save the team from relocation, and our unified cheer when we have seen victory. We condemn these changes, and more importantly, the lack of transparency in this process and urge the team to reconsider with meaningful input from the Crew community.”

    Columbus SC will host its first home game in the new stadium on July 3, 2021.

    “We are Columbus Soccer Club, we are The Crew, and we will always be the Black & Gold,” stated Bezbatchenko.

    For more information, visit columbuscrewsc.com.

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    Walker Evans
    Walker Evanshttps://columbusunderground.com
    Walker Evans is the co-founder of Columbus Underground, along with his wife and business partner Anne Evans. Walker has turned local media into a full time career over the past decade and serves on multiple boards and committees throughout the community.
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