MLS announces name and badge of new Charlotte expansion franchise

Further details surrounding Charlotte’s MLS expansion franchise was announced today with the club’s name and badge now announced.

MLS formally revealed the name and crest of their new expansion club. The club will be known as Charlotte FC in their 2022 inaugural season and will be playing their games at the Bank Of America Stadium, home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. 

Charlotte FC was one of eight options with others including Charlotte Monarchs, Charlotte Athletic, and Charlotte Crown. 

The Badge

The club’s badge features a white crown on a blue, circular background with a black ring including the club’s name and ‘minted 2022’ finishing the look.

The round shape is, according to the designers, a nod to the city’s coinmaking history, as is the term ‘minted’ rather than ‘established’ or any similar language. 

The crown refers to the roots of the city’s founding back in 1768. Charlotte is named in honor of Queen Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of Britain’s King George III at the time. The four points refer to the four wards which make up the city’s downtown area, the third of which houses the club’s home stadium.

Bringing MLS to Charlotte

Following the announcement, Commissioner Don Garber tweeted: “Terrific name and look for @MLS’ club in the dynamic city of Charlotte. I love everything it represents. Soccer has always been part of the fabric of this community. Congratulations on making it official, #CharlotteFC!”

There have been hopes for a MLS team in Charlotte for a number of years with the Charlotte Independence’s ownership group expressing their hopes of a MLS team continuing the story of their franchise, which was founded in 2014. 

A second attempt came in 2016 from the owners of the Charlotte Motor Speedway, but issues regarding a stadium resulted in MLS leaving out Charlotte on a list of potential expansion areas in 2017. 

Today’s announcement was initially scheduled for June but was postponed as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic and the rise on Black Lives Matter protests across the country, a source told the Charlotte Observer.

It has been seven months since Charlotte and their owner David Tapper were awarded a MLS franchise on December 17th 2019.