Nashville SC's MLS Next Pro team in Alabama now has a name — Huntsville City Football Club
Nashville SC's reserve team that is set to launch in Rocket City now has a name: Huntsville City Football Club.
Nashville revealed the name, brand and logo for northern Alabama's new MLS Next Pro team Wednesday night in a public event at Mars Music Hall in Huntsville, setting the stage for the team to debut in 2023 and play its home games at the newly-renovated Joe Davis Stadium, the former home of Minor League Baseball's Huntsville Stars.
Huntsville City will be one of seven new MLS Next Pro teams to debut in 2023, joining the other 21 reserve teams affiliated with Major League Soccer clubs. MLS Next Pro, which launched in 2022, acts as the middle link between MLS and its youth academy arm, MLS Next, in the league's professional development pipeline.
Huntsville City's team colors mimic those of its parent club, Nashville SC, a midnight blue and gold. However, Huntsville's logo is a circular crest, inspired by the city's seal, unlike Nashville's octagonal-shaped emblem. The deep sea blue is its primary color, bordered with two rings of sky blue and sliced horizontally by a checkered pattern, a salute to the Marshall Space Flight Center, where the Saturn I rocket was developed. A shooting star wraps around the club's initials, HCFC, which sits in the middle.
MLS Next Pro Commissioner Charles Altchek described Huntsville City's logo to The Tennessean as "true to the history of the city."
"They didn't have enough folks working the merch line. The line was out the door. Everybody's trying to grab a hat or a scarf or a T-shirt," Altchek said. "Everybody's fired up."
Huntsville mayor Tommy Battle Jr. was also in attendance.
“This is a banner day for Huntsville as we welcome the new Huntsville City FC brand into our community," Battle said in a statement. "The Huntsville market is well known for supporting its sports teams, and we’re excited for this opportunity to diversify our offerings and add professional soccer to our portfolio. I’ll be the first to purchase season tickets and can’t wait to experience the matches in Joe Davis Stadium.”
Nashville SC chief executive Ian Ayre is also president of Huntsville City and will partner with managing director of business operations Chad Emerson to oversee the club's day-to-day dealings. Emerson is the former CEO of Downtown Huntsville, Inc.
“Today is an important milestone in a series of pivotal moments that will take place in the coming weeks and months as Huntsville City FC truly comes to life in this city and in Northern Alabama," Ayre said.
For stories about Nashville SC or Soccer in Tennessee, contact Drake Hills at DHills@gannett.com. Follow Drake on Twitter at @LiveLifeDrake. Connect with Drake on Instagram at @drakehillssoccer and on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The MLS Next Pro team for Nashville SC is called Huntsville City FC
