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Boston Legacy FC

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Boston Legacy FC
A black badge with a green outline, with an image of a white swan at center.
Full nameBoston Legacy Football Club
FoundedSeptember 19, 2023; 20 months ago (September 19, 2023)
StadiumGillette Stadium (first season)
White Stadium
Boston, Massachusetts
OwnerBoston Unity Soccer Partners
LeagueNational Women's Soccer League
Websitebostonlegacyfc.com

Boston Legacy FC is a professional women's soccer club based in Boston, Massachusetts. It plans to enter the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), in the top flight of the United States league system, in 2026. Its home ground will be at a renovated White Stadium, though the club plans to play its inaugural season at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts during its redevelopment.

History

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Boston's second professional women's soccer club, the Boston Breakers, were founded in 2009, and competed in Women's Professional Soccer, Women's Premier Soccer League Elite, and the National Women's Soccer League.[1][2] The club folded in 2017 due to a limited fanbase, with reports generally blaming a lack of marketing.[3][4][5] Boston Unity Soccer Partners put forward bids during the 2024 and 2026 rounds of National Women's Soccer League expansion – ultimately winning the latter.[6]

The club originally unveiled their name as BOS Nation FC in October 2024 – an anagram of Bostonian, and a play on boss.[7][8] Their branding was launched with a marketing campaign that sported the tagline, "there are too many balls in this town".[9][7] While its intent was to highlight the patriarchal nature of sports in Boston, it was criticized by the LGBTQ community as transphobic, and by others for focusing on male athletes as opposed to highlighting Boston's women's sports.[10][11] Days after its branding launch, the club issued a public apology, and immediately discontinued the campaign.[12][13] Criticism of the club's branding also led to a rebranding, which was unveiled as Boston Legacy FC in March 2025.[14] The team will begin in the 2026 season, alongside a new to-be-named Denver team, which will bring the NWSL to a total of 16 teams.[15]

Stadium

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The team will play home matches in White Stadium in Franklin Park, Boston.[6] The City of Boston planned to commit up to $50 million towards the stadium's renovation, and BUSP pledged $30 million.[16] The stadium is to be the first venue in the country which will be home to a major league sports franchise and the athletic program of a public high school.[16] The stadium will be shared with Boston Public Schools track and soccer.[16] American football matches will be prohibited at the field during the professional soccer season, although high school football will be played on the field for playoffs and Thanksgiving games.[16]

The renovation of White Stadium sparked some dispute with community groups, and was met with a lawsuit from the Emerald Necklace Conservancy. The Conservancy sued both the City of Boston and the club's development partners, but were denied a preliminary injunction for their claims.[17][18] The presiding judge, Justice Matthew Nestor, stated that they were "not persuaded" of the Conservancy's claims that the renovations would cause irreparable harm in its violation of state law.[19] In early April, the judge held that the renovation was not in violation of the law and that the project could proceed.[20] The renovations will not be completed in time for the first season, and in May 2025 the team announced they would play their full first season at Gillette Stadium.[21]

Organization

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Boston Legacy FC are owned by Boston Unity Soccer Partners (BUSP), an all-female ownership group led by Jennifer Epstein, Stephanie Connaughton, Ami Danoff, and Anna Palmer.[6] BUSP's investors include Aly Raisman, Elizabeth Banks, Brad and Tracy Stevens, and Linda Henry.[7] Former FC Barcelona Femení recruitment and contract manager Domènec "Domè" Guasch serves as the club's general manager.[22]

Team

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Filipa Patão is the head coach of Boston Legacy FC.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Breakers History". Boston Breakers Women's Professional Soccer. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  2. ^ "2012 WPSL Elite Season Preview". National Soccer Coaches of America Association. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  3. ^ "Boston Breakers fold after ownership deal falls through". January 25, 2018. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  4. ^ Churchill, Samantha (May 2, 2018). "The Fall of the Boston Breakers". The Wellesley News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  5. ^ Kassouf, Jeff (October 16, 2019). "How an era ended: The mysterious final months of the Boston Breakers". The Equalizer. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Professional Women's Soccer Returns to Boston as National Women's Soccer League Awards Expansion Franchise to Boston Unity Soccer Partners". NWSL. Sidearm Sports. September 19, 2023. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Silverman, Michael (October 15, 2024). "Boston's NWSL team has a name: Introducing BOS Nation FC". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  8. ^ Guilfoil, Kyla (October 15, 2024). "National Women's Soccer League reveals name for new Boston team". NBC News. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  9. ^ "Boston NWSL Team Branding Officially Revealed". NWSLSoccer.com. October 15, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  10. ^ Silverman, Michael (October 16, 2024). "Boston's NWSL team, BOS Nation FC, ditches 'Too Many Balls' promotional campaign after backlash". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  11. ^ "NWSL's BOS Nation to be renamed after backlash". ESPN.com. March 15, 2025. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  12. ^ Andrejev, Alex (November 27, 2024). "BOS Nation considering name change after public backlash". The Athletic. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  13. ^ Kassouf, Jeff (March 14, 2025). "NWSL's BOS Nation FC to change name after backlash". ESPN. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  14. ^ "Boston's new pro women's soccer team gets a new name: Boston Legacy Football Club". WGBH. March 26, 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  15. ^ "Boston's NWSL team reveals new name -- again". ESPN.com. March 26, 2025. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  16. ^ a b c d Hohler, Bob (December 12, 2023). "Plan for professional soccer at White Stadium sharply reduces access for Boston high school football". The Boston Globe. The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  17. ^ "Judge denies request for injunction against White Stadium renovation project". GBH. March 22, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  18. ^ Fleming, Margaret (March 18, 2025). "Boston White Stadium Opponents Dealt Blow As Trial Set to Begin". Front Office Sports. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  19. ^ Linehan, Meg (April 2, 2025). "BOS Nation FC is out: Boston NWSL team to reveal new name in 'next few weeks'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  20. ^ "Court Victory Allows Boston, NWSL To Proceed With White Stadium Renovation". Bisnow. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  21. ^ Bird, Hayden. "Boston Legacy FC supporters 'disappointed' team will play at Gillette Stadium in 2026". www.boston.com.
  22. ^ Yang, Steph; Herrero, Laia Cervelló (March 26, 2025). "BOS Nation FC hire former FC Barcelona executive as new general manager". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  23. ^ Abola.pt (May 22, 2025). "Notícia A BOLA Benfica: Filipa Patão de saída | Abola.pt". Abola.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved May 22, 2025.
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