The 2025 NWSL season hasn’t even kicked off yet, but the excitement is already palpable. Why, you ask? Because next year will see the addition of two new expansion teams—one of them based in NWSL Denver. As the 16th club continues to put the finishing touches on its foundation and shape its identity, yet another crucial decision has just been made—with the help of over 15,000 fans.

And by decision, we mean a new name. Yes, finally, the upcoming Colorado-based club has officially announced its new name as “Denver Summit FC.” The name wasn’t agreed upon by the board members of the team, but rather by conducting a fan vote. Drawing over 15,000 submissions and suggestions, “Summit” secured the most first-place votes, making it the clear winner in the “Name The Club” campaign.

Rest, as the word suggests, NWSL Denver’s new crest features a mountain, behind which rises a sun with a red sky in the background—a symbol that perfectly captures the essence of Colorado. Starting with the red hues in the sky, they reflect the state’s stunning sunsets and the iconic red rock formations carved out of layered sandstone.

Then comes the sun, symbolizing the energy, optimism, and the famously bright skies that locals proudly claim shine for 300 days a year. After that, at the heart of the design are the mountains themselves. They are no less than a defining part of life in Colorado, anchoring both the landscape and the club’s identity.

As far as some of the more finer details are concerned, the central peak is angled at 26 degrees, which is a subtle nod to the club’s debut in 2026. Rest, the green and white color palette takes inspiration from the state’s classic license plates, while the custom font reflects the pioneering spirit of the region, inspired by styles commonly used during the early days of the American West.

Ardent supporters of the club took on the responsibility of finding the perfect name—a smart move, to be honest, especially considering what happened with the 15th expansion side, Boston. The unveiling of their initial name, BosNation FC, paired with a “Too Many Balls” ad campaign, sparked major controversy and led to significant backlash. The team later changed their name to Boston Legacy Football Club.

That misstep probably made it clear to Denver from the start that involving their fanbase in such a crucial decision was the way to go. And clearly, it paid off. The $110 million expansion side not only landed a fitting name but executed it beautifully alongside a stunning crest. NWSL Denver president Jen Millet had some encouraging words over this latest update surrounding the club.

“We are pleased to unveil Denver Summit FC as our name and to share our crest and colors with Colorado and the world,” she said. “It was vital for us to name our club in collaboration with our community. Our crest, colors, and brand are representative of Denver and all of Colorado. It embraces our aspirational goals and pioneering spirit to build the best soccer club in the world.”

Additionally, Denver Summit FC controlling owner Rob Cohen expressed his excitement over the announcement. He explained that, given how passionate Coloradans are about the outdoors, it was only natural for the club’s crest to reflect the state’s stunning surroundings.

“Our elevation offers us a distinct home field advantage, and our goal is to build a club that is always pursuing excellence on and off the field. Much like the picturesque Rocky Mountains, our charge is to stand apart while always reaching for new heights,” added Cohen.

We bet it does it all. In fact, if you ask us, it all looks pretty neat. The only thing fans—and even we—can’t wait to see now is the players officially wearing the Denver Summit badge on their shirts. But before that, the next step is setting up the upcoming NWSL team. And speaking of that, there’s a major update on that front!

NWSL Denver close to announcing first head coach

Denver Summit is close to announcing Nick Cushing as its first-ever head coach, according to a report by ESPN. The Englishman previously led Manchester City Women (2013–2020) and, most recently, managed MLS side New York City FC, both under the City Football Group umbrella. Notably, Cushing began with CFG in 2006 as an academy coach and briefly returned to Man City Women in 2024 as interim manager. He moved to NYCFC in 2020, becoming head coach in 2022.

While he missed the playoffs in 2023, he guided the MLS team to a sixth-place finish in the Eastern Conference in 2024. So, in a nutshell, Nick Cushing is quite experienced, and there’s no denying that he is a strong choice. Whether he fully fits Denver’s vision for their ideal coach is yet to be seen, but he does meet the availability criteria highlighted earlier by the club’s GM, Curt Johnson, in a conversation with ESPN. Either way, it’s a major development, and NWSL Denver will likely make it official soon.

As far as player acquisition is concerned, Denver, like all the other teams in the NWSL, has the option of signing players nearing contract expiration to new deals, with just over $1 million allotted to spend on recruitments. So the pursuit for players is on, with team president Jen Millet even hinting at a potential return for Colorado players. “[Curt is] really excited to build a roster. And so that’s a primary focus for us on the sporting side,” Millet said, “and we on the business side are super excited to work through a plan of how to welcome these players either to Colorado or back to Colorado.” Whom do you want on the Denver roster? Let us know in the comments.