One of the new entries in USL League One is hoping some horsepower in its crest will propel it to victory when it kicks off in 2023.
On Tuesday, March 22, the expansion franchise based in Lexington, Kentucky, unveiled the name and crest it will sport when it joins the league: Lexington Sporting Club, or Lexington S.C. for short.
The crest was designed by Christopher Payne, who has developed brands for soccer clubs across England and the United States. It features a two-toned bright green rearing stallion on a dark green shield, with “LEXINGTON” near the top of the shield and “SC” near the bottom.
“We’ve spent many months working hard to develop the name and crest of Lexington’s professional soccer club, and we have relied heavily on the input and opinions of residents around the region,” said Lexington S.C. owner Bill Shively on the club’s website. “From day one, it has been critical to us that this club represent our region and its people in every way possible, which is why we spent significant time listening to community voices during our branding and naming process. We’re thrilled with the final outcome and hope that our fans and supporters will be as well.”
The club consulted heavily with local soccer fans before landing on the name and crest. The months-long process involved 14 listening sessions, more than 300 brand survey responses, and more than 1,500 stadium survey responses.
Central themes that emerged from the process included: “pride in Central Kentucky’s winning heritage; the region’s unparallelled landscape; and its horse and bourbon industries.” These were all incorporated into the crest.
“It was important to design this crest with input from the Lexington community,” Payne said. “We spent hours and hours listening to the community and asking questions to make sure we got this right. In the multiple listening sessions, we heard many, many great things about Lexington, but it struck me how proud the local community was about horses and the horse industry, and so I wanted to build a brand identity around this much-loved icon of the community.”
“I think that we have created something that everyone can be proud of, a design that is strong and powerful, as well as being modern yet traditional. It is a new identity that will represent Lexington, locally, nationally and internationally.”
Jerseys were not unveiled along with the crest announcement, but some merchandise was available for pre-order on the club’s website. Several items featured the horse from the crest on its own, without the shield or typography.
Lexington S.C. is one of three expansion teams slated to kick off in USL League One in spring 2023, along with teams in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Spokane, Washington. They’ll join the 11 existing teams that span across the U.S., from Fresno, California, to Richmond, Virginia.
Lexington S.C.’s owners are also looking to build a 6,000-seat soccer stadium in downtown Lexington, near Rupp Arena, home of the University of Kentucky Wildcats.
Feature graphic courtesy @chrisypayne / Twitter