The National Women's Soccer League revealed the name of its 15th team on Tuesday, the Boston Squad BOS Nation Football Club.
BOS Nation, pronounced “Boss Nation,” will begin play in the league in 2026. The NWSL’s expansion to Boston was first announced last September.
Club leaders said the name was an anagram of “Bostonian,” a deliberate recognition of its new fan base.
“This new identity embodies the energy, creativity and pride of the city of Boston, its unique blend of old and new, its famously die-hard fans and its new generation of fans united by their love of the beautiful game played by so many of the greatest players in the world. female athletes,” he said Tuesday. Boston University Soccer Partners, the team leading the new club, said in a statement.
The statement adds that the new name does not just represent fans, but “refers to a collective identity formed entirely by its fan base.”
Boston Unity Soccer Partners is an “all-female original ownership group” led by Jennifer Epstein, founder of Juno Equity and minority owner of the Boston Celtics. Stephanie Connaughton, Amy Danoff and Anna Palmer will serve as managing partners.
“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 the tongue-in-cheek tone of the inaugural campaign,” Epstein said in a statement Tuesday. fair. .
The brand reveal included a promotional campaign in Boston on Tuesday, with billboards and digital content featuring the provocative ad as part of the clubs' “Lots of Balls” campaign.
The campaign references a number of “balls,” including old, new, steel, cold and goat “balls,” the last of which cuts to a video clip of former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady saying, “Wait , what?”
As part of the club's grand opening on Tuesday, Epstein also recognized two major investors in the new team: six-time Olympic medalist gymnast Aly Raisman and actress and producer Elizabeth Banks.
Banks and Raisman, both Massachusetts natives, celebrated the new female-led ownership group and the opportunity to promote women's sports in Boston.
“I grew up a Boston sports fan and have special memories of going to Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox and Patriots games with my dad,” Raisman said in a statement. “It’s so important for children to see themselves as role models and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to help develop football and women’s sports in my city.”
Tuesday's reveal included a look at the club's new team colors, focusing on its primary color, “Championship Green.”
“The primary color, Championship Green, is a tribute to Boston Strong, a symbol of the city’s resilience and tenacity,” the statement said. “It reflects the team’s commitment to being big, bold and winning.”
The team's colors will also include accents of red, black, pink, yellow and orange, which “speak to the rich diversity of Boston's surroundings and the team's values, and signal a new era in the city's sports scene.”
BOS Nation will host home games at White Stadium, the second venue in the world with a professional women's sports team, according to a team statement. They added that it will be renovated to become North America's first all-electric stadium, operating with net zero carbon and zero waste.
“BOS Nation FC joins the NWSL in an era of explosive growth for women's sport, setting league attendance records and securing major media contracts,” the team said in a statement. “BOS Nation FC is committed to pushing boundaries on and off the field, signaling the passion for women’s soccer in Boston.”
