Boston's professional women's soccer team tries a new name

The National Women's Soccer League team forming in Boston has picked a new name after a widely criticized marketing rollout with its original name.

Shedding the moniker BOS Nation, the team announced Wednesday it will now be known as Boston Legacy FC.

"The name keeps the focus on Boston while invoking both its long history and its importance as a hub of future innovation — a city that carries its own decades of sporting legacy,” the franchise said in a statement.

The team walked back its original name, which was meant to be an anagram of "Bostonian" earlier this year. It had been accompanied by a marketing campaign called "Too Many Balls," which the team ultimately apologized for saying it "missed the mark."

Amina Bulman, the team's chief revenue officer, told WBUR that one of the biggest lessons the team learned was to engage fans at every step of the team-building process.

“We've gotten really consistent feedback from every cross-section and demographic that we spoke with that this name was by far the best out of the options that we considered,” Bulman said.

The franchise said it received survey results from 1,500 fans, held focus groups and individual interviews in order to come up with the name.

“ We think about this as a generational investment in women's soccer and in Boston,” Bulman said.

Jennifer Epstein, the club’s controlling owner, called the name a tribute to the past and a promise for the future.

“Our name is just the beginning,” wrote Epstein in a statement. “It’s what we build together, through dedication, commitment, and grit that will give it life.”

Meanwhile, the franchise is awaiting the outcome of a legal battle to stop the renovation of Franklin Park's White Stadium, which they have a deal to lease as their home base in Boston.

The team plans to hire a head coach and start signing players this spring and summer, Bulman told WBUR. They are set to play starting March 2026.

With reporting by WBUR's Dan Guzman