National Women's Soccer League reveals name for new Boston team

The National Women's Soccer League unveiled the name of its 15th team Tuesday, dubbing the Boston squad BOS Nation Football Club.

BOS Nation, pronounced "boss nation," will begin playing in the league in 2026. The expansion of the NWSL into Boston was first announced last September.

The club's leaders said the name is an anagram for "Bostonian," an intentional recognition of its new fan base.

"This new identity embodies the strength, creativity, and pride of the city of Boston, its unique blend of old and new, its famed diehard fans, and its new generation of fans united by their love of the world's beautiful game played by many of the best female athletes in the world," a statement from Boston University Soccer Partners, the group leading the new club, said Tuesday.

The statement added that the new name doesn't just represent the fans, but "signifies a collective identity made up entirely of its fan base."

Boston Unity Soccer Partners is an "all-female core ownership group," led by founder of Juno Equity and minority owner of the Boston Celtics Jennifer Epstein. Stephanie Connaughton, Ami 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 in the tongue-in-cheek tone of the unveil campaign,” Epstein said in a statement Tuesday.

The brand reveal included a cheeky promotional campaign across Boston on Tuesday, with billboards and digital content featuring provocative ads as part of the clubs "Too Many Balls" campaign.

The campaign makes references to an array of "balls," including old, new, steel, cold and goat "balls," with the last mention cutting to a video clip of former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady saying, "Wait, what?"

As part of the club's name reveal on Tuesday, Epstein also recognized two big-name investors of 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 help foster women's sports in Boston.

“I grew up a Boston sports fan & have special memories of going to Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox & Patriots games with my dad,” Raisman said in a statement. “It’s so important for kids to see themselves in their role models and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to support the growth of women’s soccer and sports in my hometown."

Tuesday's reveal included a look at the club's new team colors, focusing on their primary color, "Championship Green."

"The primary color, Championship Green, is a nod to Boston Strong, symbolizing the city’s resilience and tenacity," the statement read. "It reflects the team’s commitment to being big, bold, and victorious."

The team colors will also include accents of red, black, pink, yellow and orange, which "speak to the rich diversity of Boston’s neighborhoods and the team’s values and signal a new era in the city’s sports landscape."

BOS Nation will host home games in White Stadium, the second venue anchored by a women's professional sports team in the world, according to the team's statement. They added that it will be renovated to become the first all-electric stadium in North America, operating with net-zero carbon and zero waste.

"BOS Nation FC joins the NWSL during an era of explosive growth for women’s sports, with the league setting attendance records and achieving major media deals," the team said in a statement. "BOS Nation FC is committed to pushing boundaries both on and off the field, signaling the enthusiasm for women’s soccer in Boston."