CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte's Major League Soccer franchise officially has its name: Charlotte FC.
The team's name was announced Wednesday morning on the organization's Twitter account. The team's crest is blue with a crown logo in the center. The team's colors are similar to the Panthers with blue, black, white and silver.
“Charlotte FC is part of an exciting new era for sports in Charlotte and the Carolinas. Today’s unveiling of our name, colors and crest will be remembered as one of the most exciting days in our club’s history,” said Tom Glick, President of Tepper Sports and Entertainment. “Our fans have been at the heart of creating this brand. This is a large and growing group of soccer fans who, like us, have a passion for the game and big goals and ambitions. We will keep building together with them and delivering a club to which they belong.”
The club was supposed to begin play in 2021, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, will now debut in 2022.
“The Charlotte FC brand truly embodies our city with a design that reflects Charlotte’s rich history,” said Charlotte FC Owner David Tepper. “When we were awarded the team in December, I spoke about this club bringing the city together. To reach the point where our fans can actually know our name and see our colors is a significant milestone.”
Before Wednesday's announcement, the club gave fans five possible names, including Carolina Gliders FC, Charlotte Athletic FC, Charlotte Crown FC and the winner, Charlotte FC.
Eliminated from the list of possible names were:
- All Carolina FC
- Charlotte Fortune FC
- Charlotte Monarchs FC
Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper's bid for the franchise was accepted in December.