The team’s owners compiled a shortlist of six names based on feedback from a fan launch event for the team in January as well as social media and consultation with fans. The six options are Denver Peak FC, Colorado 14ers FC, Colorado Summit FC, Denver Elevate FC, Denver FC and Denver Gold FC.
Safe to say this fan vote is already going better than the fan vote for Utah’s NHL franchise, which ended up exclusively with choices that rip off Colorado teams. Nor do Denver's proposed names seem to lend themselves to iffy branding campaigns, which happened in Boston last October.
Boston is also receiving an NWSL franchise, but the team's owners inexplicably revealed that the team name will be BOS Nation FC as a weird nod to the term Bostonian. Worse, the announcement video featured all the men’s sports teams in the Boston area and a campaign called “Too Many Balls,” inferring the women's team was needed to combat testosterone in the city. BOS Nation FC later apologized for the branding campaign and is reportedly already considering a name change.
Denver's NWSL ownership group just has to avoid tripping over its own feet to improve on Boston's performance. After selecting six interesting and cool names, the group is off to a good start, although one may run into some challenges down the road. The team says the fan vote is designed to ensure the team identity matches the “passion and culture” of Colorado.
“From day one, we’ve said that this club belongs to Colorado, and we’re putting that into action by letting our fans help shape its identity,” Rob Cohen, the team's controlling owner said in an announcement about the fan vote. “This is the chance for fans to make their mark on history.”
Over 5,200 people have already placed season ticket deposits for Denver's first season, the fastest rate of any NWSL expansion franchise.
Now even those who aren’t ready to buy tickets yet can use their voices with the Name the Club survey.
How to Vote on Denver Women's Soccer Team Name
The survey uses ranked-choice voting, asking people to rank the suggested names from their first to last choice. The form also asks for additional ideas for a name and whether people think the team should represent Denver as a city or Colorado as a whole. Most NWSL teams are dedicated to the city the team plays in rather than the state, with just three of the teams named after their respective states: the New York/New Jersey Gotham, the North Carolina Courage and the Utah Royals.There are two Colorado names and four Denver names in the suggested bunch and all would end with FC, signifying football club. Of the current NWSL teams, eight have FC at the end of their name and six do not, though the survey does not ask whether fans think the team should use the FC moniker.
The worst name of the pack is easy to pick: Colorado Summit FC. There is already a team here called the Colorado Summit in the professional Ultimate Frisbee Association, so that name may cause problems.
The other Colorado option, Colorado 14ers, is a fun nod to the state’s outdoorsy community signifying mountains higher than 14,000 feet in elevation at their peak. Climbing a 14er takes dedication and skill, so there’s plenty to build on for a team identity with this name. The name 14ers wouldn’t make sense if "Denver" is in the name, however, as none of those peaks are within the city’s boundaries.
Of the Denver names, Peak shares a similarity to 14ers, but its vagueness allows the name to go with the city instead of the state. Peak is a versatile word to indicate being at the top as well as Denver’s mile-high elevation, so that's a pretty good option.
Denver Elevate FC fits best with other NWSL names, evoking the Houston Dash, Kansas City Current and Washington Spirit team names. None of those teams use the FC signifier at the end, though, so if this name wins out, eliminating "FC" could be a good move to fit with the other dynamic, conceptual names in the league.
Denver Gold FC has many meanings, as well, with gold literally signifying wealth and being the best of the best. Additionally, the name could reference Colorado history, like the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush in the 1800s or the color of Aspen trees when they turn in the fall. It’s not hard to imagine an alternate journey signifying the changing of the leaves that would totally rock.
Lastly, Denver FC is simple, straight to the point and allows the team to build an identity as being tied to the city where it makes its home. We won’t complain about this one, either.
Denver will begin play for the 2026 NWSL season as the league’s sixteenth team. The team is expected to play in a temporary venue while the ownership group builds a new stadium and training facility to serve as the home for the team; the stadium's site hasn't been announced yet.
Cohen, who serves as the CEO of IMA Financial Group and is a longtime sports booster in metro Denver, is a co-owner along with Mellody Hobson, an entrepreneur who also owns a minority stake in the Denver Broncos, and Jason Wright of Project Level. Cohen, Hobson and Wright are joined by minority owners Jon-Erik Borgen and Kaia Borgen Moritz, who own FirstTracks Sports Ventures, as well as Neelima Joshi, Dhiren Jhaveri and Molly Coors.
The group has agreed to pay a $110 million expansion fee to the NWSL, the largest investment to establish a professional women’s sports team in history.
Make sure you vote before February 26 to be included in the process. The official team color and logo will also be revealed at a later date.
