Denver's National Women's Soccer League Team Finally Has a Name

Denver’s new National Women’s Soccer League team finally has a name.

Though the expansion team was announced in January, fans have had to wait to know what exactly they’ll be cheering from the stands. No we know it will be Denver Summit FC.

The Summit was one of six options in a February poll released by the team asking fans their opinions, though the option listed in the poll was Colorado Summit FC.

“It was vital for us to name our club in collaboration with our community,” Summit president Jen Millet says in a statement. “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.”

The team crest depicts the Rocky Mountains in front of a setting sun, with the evergreen color that has been a part of the branding since the franchise was announced featured prominently. Local booster group For Denver FC used green when they grouped together to push for a team to come to Denver, as well.

"A lot of the unsolicited feedback we got was: keep the green," Millet says.

Green was the original color of the Colorado Rapids, the local MLS team. According to Millet, the Rapids even reached out to be sure the NWSL team would be alright if the Rapids released a throwback jersey in green, which the team did last week. According to Millet, the two soccer teams might help promote each others jerseys.

At a press event, Millet said the orangey-red color on the crest is meant to be a reference to Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, furthering the outdoorsy branding.

When the team name survey came out, Colorado fans were reminded that the state already had a professional sports team called the Summit: an ultimate Frisbee team that played its first season in 2022. When the soccer team survey came out, the ultimate team filed for a trademark, worried their team name could be usurped. According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, that trademark application was selectively abandoned in June.

After negotiations, the ultimate team is handing their name over to be used by the soccer team and will rebrand, according to owner Sal Pace.

“This is a historic and groundbreaking agreement,” Pace says, adding that the teams will collaborate in the future on promotional campaigns, fan engagement, work to grow youth sports in Colorado and even halftime appearances by ultimate players at future NWSL games.

Pace says the NWSL team told him that the Summit came out overwhelmingly ahead of the other names in the fan survey. Millet confirms the popularity of the "Summit," adding that the team's owners were very attached to the name.

“That's probably because we've spent four years of heavy marketing for our name, but it also could be that we picked a really special name,” Pace says. “But we saw the upside of this really exciting and historic partnership as worth more than the name itself.”

Pace, who has also invested in a women's ultimate team, Colorado Alpenglow, says supporting women’s athletics was part of the motivation for handing off the name.

“I'm really honored to see the Summit name live on and grow women's soccer in particular,” he says. “I think that's really cool.”

Though team leaders have not shared a reason why they chose the name Denver Summit instead of Colorado Summit, some local politicians may have provided a push.
The NWSL team hopes to build a stadium at the Santa Fe Yards at South Broadway and Interstate 25, where the Gates Rubber Factory used to be. Part of that plan involves a $70 million contribution from the City of Denver for nearby infrastructure and the purchase of the land itself. City council tentatively approved that funding in April but has yet to officially appropriate the cash.

During an April 23 city council committee meeting about the funding, Councilmember Amanda Sawyer indicated to Cohen that part of the council’s decision could lie within the team name.

“I have not heard you confirm, and I need to, for $70 million Denver has to be in the name of this team,” Sawyer said.

Millet says the stadium funding was not the reason the team picked Denver over Colorado. The fan vote survey asked a separate question about if the team name should be Denver or Colorado and fans largely picked Denver, she says. But the stadium did play a role in the choice to use the city over the state.

"We are really proud to be the second club in the league, and in the states, that is building this female, purpose-driven stadium," Millet says. "That deserved like recognition because I hope there's another one in the state someday."

Making sure people know that Denver as a city had the first such venue was important to the team, she adds.

A head coach will be announced very soon, according to Millet, who says the team is in active conversations with free agents. The jerseys themselves will have to wait, though, with Millet expecting a jersey release in early spring before the NWSL season kicks off in mid-March. Although details of the kit aren't yet available, Millet was able to share that the kit will be a custom look created by Nike.

Fans looking to celebrate can attend a brand launch block party at McGregor Square, 1901 Wazee Street, on July 26 at 2 p.m.

Meanwhile, the ultimate team will be looking for a new name before the 2026 Ultimate Frisbee Association season, starting with a fan survey on the team website and a watch party for the team’s playoff match verses the Oakland Spiders at Crimson and Gold Tavern at 2017 South University Boulevard at 6:30 p.m. on July 26.