COLUMBUS, Ohio — Though the core design remains, slight changes have been made to the team crest to represent the heritage of the Columbus Crew, the team announced Tuesday.
The announcement comes one day after the club said the Crew would return as part of the official team name.
Changes to the crest include a "96" being placed in the bottom right corner of the pennant-shaped badge, designed to represent the shap of the Ohio state flag. The "96" represents the year the Crew were founded as the first member of Major League Soccer. The numerals replaced a small triangle located in the same corner.
One city. One team.
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) May 18, 2021
Glory to Columbus.#Crew96
The Crew name will replace the "SC" previously located at the bottom of the crest. The Crew name also will appear in secondary logos released by the club.
Supporters of the team said the changes to the initial rebrand were the result of the conversation had Monday between ownership, executives and supporters from the Nordecke, the club's supporter group.
🤝 @Nordecke#Crew96 pic.twitter.com/cfbbXNKzg1
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) May 18, 2021
Proud to be your club, #Crew96 supporters. pic.twitter.com/RVfNSKs8z1
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) May 18, 2021
On Monday, a week after announcing the Columbus Crew would be known moving forward as “Columbus SC,” the club announced the Crew will remain part of the name and alterations would be made to the new logo as well.
According to a release by the club, a “positive, collaborative discussion” took place between Crew investor-operators, front office executives and a diverse group from the Crew community Monday evening.
Joint statement from the Columbus Crew and its supporters group, @Nordecke.#Crew96 pic.twitter.com/S0o8KeWkAV
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) May 18, 2021
The result of the conversation was the Columbus Crew will be the official name of the soccer club in the state’s capital and changes would be made to the new crest which was debuted with the new team name May 9.
According to the release, the Crew supporters club, The Nordecke, gave approval of the changes and support the plans moving forward.
“This conversation was an incredibly productive one in which supporter voices were heard and ownership took action,” the supporter club said via its Twitter page. “We are excited to once again support the Columbus Crew.”
In a video posted to social media, investor-operator Dee Haslam said it was a great meeting with very open dialogue. Investor-operator Dr. Pete Edwards said he is excited for the progress made and the direction moving forward.
“We’re going to be the Columbus Crew and we’re going to be the Columbus Crew forever,” Edwards said.
Columbus Crew.
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) May 18, 2021
Forever.#Crew96 pic.twitter.com/oImRB4tFH5
Some changes will also need made in other areas surrounding the club as the new crest and name were already being sold on merchandise and were on signage and other branded items on the new Crew Stadium in Columbus, which is scheduled to open July 3.
Since the rebranding of the team, Columbus lost two matches. The Crew’s next match is May 22 at New York City FC.