https://www.columbuscrewsc.com/post/2021/05/11/we-are-columbus-crew We are Columbus’ Crew Columbus will always be The Crew, and The Crew will always be Black and Gold. This isn’t just another soccer team with another rebrand. Crew fans don’t need abstract adjectives to define their passionate and authentic emotion. We are not a "New Crew," and we're not just a team that needs to be saved. This is about a soccer team in Columbus, a championship-caliber Club, having redefined ambition and expectations. We were the first team. We had the first soccer-specific stadium. Now, it’s time to take the next step.

Object 1 Once characterized as the ‘Hardest Working Team in America,’ the Black and Gold community has shown just what that attitude can achieve, on and off the pitch. We’re not scrapping for recognition. We’re audacious, assured, and players are choosing Columbus. We know the rich history we come from, what we’ve achieved and we’re confident about where we’re headed. We have a strong roster and enthusiastic supporters. In a matter of weeks, we’ll open a soccer cathedral in New Crew Stadium, and our players will train for more trophies at the state-of-the-art Health Performance Center. We’re not an afterthought in a flyover state. We’re the example of what everyone else wishes their club could be. We are Columbus’ Crew.

Same Team, Same Colors Columbus SC is our name, but we are The Crew. We are forever Black and Gold. In speaking with Crew fans and members of the community, our ownership group sought to display the natural evolution of our Club, and to respect what The Crew means for Columbus. One takeaway was that accentuating Columbus was essential. Changing our name from SC to Columbus SC isn’t an attempt to rewrite our history. It's a move to further celebrate our city, and to push the Club beyond the familiar boundaries, and outward to a more global audience. We will always be known as The Crew as we continue to elevate the Club to match the growing, dynamic nature of our city and supporters. Ultimately, we want the look and feel of our soccer team to showcase that.

Let’s start with the crest. The iconic “C” represents The Crew, Columbus, and our motivation for winning championships. While our current crest will remain on our uniforms for the remainder of 2021, the newly introduced icon speaks directly to what we want to be, and by putting the icon within the outline of Ohio’s state flag, we wanted to make another message absolutely clear: We are Ohio’s team.

The evolution of our Club includes the evolution of our checkerboard grid. Previously, that checkboard featured two-dimensional squares painted in our team colors. Now, we bring the checkerboard to life with three-dimensional intent. The new isometric checkerboard includes three-dimensional cubes, creating a vibrant image. The aggressive lines deliver a unique look and match the organization’s ambitions of elevating the Club, while also utilized as the seat pattern inside New Crew Stadium.

Does the above font look familiar? Your eyes may be deceiving you. Our custom-created brand font, titled “NineSix,” was specifically built for The Crew. A bespoke creation that was born of our isometric grid principle, NineSix breaks convention and steps away from the standard sans serif fonts used by other MLS organizations. NineSix, an ode to our club beginning in 1996, is not just about being different, but also innovative. Parallel to our status as the first Charter Club in MLS, with the first soccer-specific stadium, the new font represents yet another step to position our team as an established, but evolving leader in the ever- growing landscape of professional soccer in North America.

Authenticity is key, and it’s an easy claim to make when you’re the first. Our new marks incorporate symbols that are meaningful to our community and state, and represent an evolution of our tradition – which lead to advancing our new tone and voice. While this is new, it’s based off easily recognizable images in our region. The original Crew checker flag, the state of Ohio flag, and arches are fundamental to Columbus and are instantly recognizable to Central Ohioans.

Our Future is Unwritten When The Crew were established in 1996, it was the start of a new future for soccer in our country. Consider this evolution as the next step to something previously thought as unattainable – a more universal, global presence. We are Columbus Soccer Club – a soccer team that presents and plays for Columbus – and we will always be The Crew, a moniker permanently tied to the tradition of Black and Gold. That will never change. Our supporters are the reason our club is still in our city. You kept us alive when we were just trying to survive; you saved us; and recently, you’ve pushed us to new heights and have allowed us to develop new expectations. The notion of ‘overcoming the odds’ is a part of our history, and now, following a championship- winning season in 2020, we set our sights forward. As trendsetters, we seek to define new aspirations as The Crew, as the Black and Gold, as Columbus SC. Yes, we have a new crest, the New Crew Stadium, and the new Ohio Performance Health Center, but because of our history and supporters, we have three things that aren’t going anywhere: This club, our colors, and The Crew.