COLUMBUS, Ohio — The owners of the newly rebranded Columbus Soccer Club have agreed to once again change the club’s name; this time back to the familiar name of the Columbus Crew.
The decision to rename the team again comes after a meeting with the club's supporters group, The Nordecke.
The meeting was held after a community uproar over the team’s recent rebranding.
The organization officially announced that initial rebranding last Monday, adding the Columbus SC would be keeping ‘Crew’ as a nickname.
Sharp backlash from long-time fans has since caused the club’s owners to reconsider. They met with leaders of the Nordecke on Monday to discuss, and released the following joint statement in response:
This evening, a positive, collaborative discussion took place between Crew investor-operators, front office executives and a diverse group from the Crew community regarding the future of the Club’s brand and the Club’s commitment to its supporter community.
The importance of keeping the Crew as the Club’s primary identifier was clear. The decision that came from the discussion was that Columbus Crew will remain the team’s official name moving forward.
The Crew received Nordecke’s support of the name, which will include Columbus Crew as a part of the new crest. In addition, “96” will be placed inside the outline of the Ohio state flag, recognizing the club’s status as the founding member in Major League Soccer.
The Crew and the Nordecke are excited to move forward together.