The Crew has been discussing a potential rebranding ahead of the opening of a new stadium Downtown in July 2021, but any alteration would not take “Crew” out of the team’s name or get rid of the primary colors of black and gold.

After The Dispatch reported through several sources Wednesday that the front office had discussed possibly changing the team name and colors, president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko confirmed that neither the colors nor the name “Crew” would change in any potential rebrand.

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“The colors Black & Gold and the moniker ‘The Crew’ are critical parts of our club’s identity and have been beloved by supporters since 1996,” Bezbatchenko told The Dispatch. “Discussions regarding overall brand identity include critical supporter feedback, and any reports suggesting a departure from the above by the club would be inaccurate.”

According to the sources, these discussions began in June, six months after new ownership took control of the team and the front office was still recovering from the exodus of employees given the uncertainty of its future in Columbus during the 2018 season. The team had to hire nearly double the number of employees it had at the start of 2019.

As the Crew did with the stadium, it plans to use the fans who saved the team in focus groups for any potential rebrand.

Co-owner Dr. Pete Edwards, who had been the team’s longtime physician, tweeted Wednesday afternoon that “the Edwards and Haslam families understand that Columbus bleeds black and gold.”

Many Crew fans responded with outrage over the possibility that the front office would make such a major change to the first franchise in Major League Soccer, signaling that such a move would alienate diehard supporters.

Save The Crew communications manager David Miller described a potential change of colors or the name of the Crew as a “slap in the face to this community that worked so hard to save itself.” Other fans, including radio host J.D. Smith of the show Common Man & T-Bone on WBNS-FM, said if the rebrand changed the colors and name, then they would cancel their season tickets.

The Crew last changed its crest ahead of the 2015 season, as well as changing the name to Columbus Crew SC. A minor change to the name, crest or even colors is still on the table, but the prominence of black and gold and the name “Crew” will remain.

“ ‘The Crew’ will continue to be used and adored by the club and supporters,” Bezbatchenko added.

jmyers@dispatch.com

@Jacob_Myers_25