Ever since USL D3 announced Greenville Pro Soccer as the third member of the newest American soccer league, fans have been anxiously awaiting updates on what this team will actually look like. Unlike the first two teams announced in the league, Greenville’s team — “GPS” as I have been calling them — is starting from scratch.

When the team was announced March 13 of this year, there was not a ton for fans to hang their hopes and expectations on other than the announcement itself, a top tier ownership group and a club president, Chris Lewis, who has plenty of experience in the professional sports landscape.

But over the past month, things have appeared to be picking up steam. The team held its first official event June 23 and more than 125 fans showed up to watch the Germany vs. Sweden World Cup match.

In addition to the World Cup watch parties, the team also announced earlier this month that fans can buy “priority deposits” for season tickets, basically reserving a place in line to buy season tickets.

Fans who jumped on this opportunity could also participate in a survey that the team will use to finalize the brand, which is rumored to be announced sometime in August.

I paid my deposit. I took the survey. And, in the interest of “journalism,” I am going to attempt to make some fun (and possibly outlandish) predictions about the forthcoming brand for Greenville Pro Soccer.

Team name

Based on the survey, this was the area the team seemed to be seeking the most input on. The team appears to be focused on Greenville’s history and Greenville’s focus on progress and growth.

Greenville is known for its textile history and was once called the “Textile Capital of the World.” Textile mills popped up across town and served as de facto communities for the residents. Many of the now-abandoned mills have been converted into breweries, event spaces and even high-priced condos.

As the textile industry began to decline, Greenville became attractive to many larger companies looking to move their operations to the area, especially in the automotive industry.

Another hallmark of Greenville’s current culture, though it was not mentioned in the survey, is the exploding culinary scene. In addition to the multitude of fabulous restaurants spread throughout the city, Greenville hosts two food-centric festivals every year (Fall for Greenville and Euphoria) as well as Artisphere, a festival that combines art and food.

These three areas, history, progress, and culinary arts, are all fertile grounds for team name inspiration.

Mascot

How do you feel about mascots? Are they important? Are they critical? Are they even necessary?

While mascots are certainly not critical to a team’s success, particularly in the soccer-verse, they can be used effectively as a marketing tool towards families. There is also a precedent among other teams in Greenville.

The Greenville Drive have Reedy Rip’it, the baseball-loving frog named after Greenville’s iconic river. The Greenville Swamp Rabbits have Stomper the rabbit. What would a Greenville Pro Soccer mascot look like?

One area the team may be able to pull inspiration from is Greenville’s iconic Mice on Main scavenger hunt. Or perhaps they might consider partnering with Greenville Duck Derby.

Personally, the best idea I have heard came from SNST Slack member and resident photographer Brittany Hildreth, who suggested Bobbin Weave as a textile-themed mascot!

Colors

This is really the best time to consider the way that team colors define a team’s brand. Just look at the iconic colors and uniforms we’ve watched in the World Cup this past month.

The Swamp Rabbits are orange and navy. The Drive are red and blue. Greenville FC has staked claim to green and gold. Where does Greenville Pro Soccer go with their color palate?

As much as I would love to see more orange, I do not see that happening as it can be a divisive color in this state. The jerseys that the team used on announcement day featured navy and white, as have all the branding the team have used up to this point.

This has clearly been a temporary placeholder while the branding is being finalized, but I think it may be hard to step back from the navy after this much time.

Kit design

The United Soccer League does not have a singular jersey manufacturer. Teams have the flexibility to shop around and get creative when it comes to designs.

While I would love to see the team go with a manufacturer other than Adidas or Nike purely for the creativity, having an Adidas warehouse in Greenville’s backyard makes that an awful convenient option.

There are limitless options for designs. I would love to see the Liberty Bridge featured on the kits in some way. It would be amazing to have it on the lower third of the kit.

Greenville’s Liberty Bridge (Photo Credit: Jefferson Davis/Flickr)

Outside of a completely custom kit, there are really only a few different designs that I would consider. I am big fan of hoops or horizontal stripes. Vertical stripes are a decent option. A solid kit can look amazing if done right. A sash is a no in my book; I have rarely seen one that I thought looked good.

One other design element I have grown fond of is the singular, solid bar across the chest (see Juventus’s green alternate kit). This could be a solid look on one of the kit designs as well.

My predictions

I have no insider knowledge on any of this. Also, these are really less predictions and more what I want to see. So take all of this with a massive grain of salt.

Team name: While I would love to see something out of the culinary world, I’m not sure that is likely at this point. I appreciate the thought being put into Greenville’s focus on progress and advancement, but it is not the most fertile ground for team branding. They could surprise me, but I would lean more towards the historical side.

All of that considered, my suggestion for the new USL D3 team name is Textile Town SC. This is a name that speaks to Greenville’s current and historical identity. It is also a name that leans on a more American style (SC) instead of a more European style (FC).

Mascot: Ultimately, I think the positives outweigh the negatives on having a mascot. It seems like a relative low cost for the marketing potential and the ability to attract young families.

That being said, I must endorse Bobbin Weave as my pick for a mascot. If fits perfectly with the Textile Town SC name and it is just too perfect to not use. Imagine a muscular human form with a spool of thread for its head. That is gold!

Colors: During this World Cup season, I have found myself drawn to yellow and blue combination. Sweden and Brazil both have uniforms that are striking and iconic.

At the same time, the navy base that Greenville Pro Soccer has already been utilizing looks clean and has grown on me over the months. I like the idea of using the navy with yellow instead of the bold blue as a means of compromise.

The color palate I could get behind would be navy, yellow and a light gray for some accents and secondary kits.

Kit Design: While the following are not perfect, they incorporate the color scheme and design elements I would love to see. I am much more fond of the secondary kit below.

What will we actually see as this teams unveils their branding over the next several months? That is anybody’s guess, but you can rest assured that with the marketing background of the team’s ownership, it will not disappoint.

We’d love to hear what you think Greenville Pro Soccer’s branding will be. Let us know on Twitter and Facebook. And sign up for our newsletter below to get all of the latest Greenville soccer news directly in your inbox.