Minnesota’s new professional soccer team will be named NSC Minnesota Stars
NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release, February 5, 2010
For more information:
Barclay Kruse, Chief Communications Officer
National Sports Center
763.785.5634 (office)
763.458.6615 (cell)
bkruse@mnsports.org
BLAINE, Minn. (February 5, 2010) – Minnesota’s new professional soccer team will be named NSC Minnesota Stars.
The announcement was made during a live webcast from the National Sports Center campus in Blaine, Minnesota, February 5.
In addition to the name announcement, team officials unveiled the team’s new logo.
(Media can download the team’s new logo at http://www.nscsports.org/news-info/media_info/image_library.htm.
A video version of the live announcement will be posted on the NSC’s website by 5:00 pm Central Time on Friday, February 5: http://www.nscsports.org/community/nsctv.htm.
The National Sports Center ran an online fan voting contest that garnered 3,110 votes over a two week period in late January. The contest wrapped up on January 26. Since then, team officials were busy discussing the most popular names, clearing trademark issues and discussing long-term marketing and branding potential.
Scott Clasen, host of the NSC’s weekly video show, “NSCtv,” moderated the webcast announcement. Clasen interviewed Kris Bjerkness, team general manager.
Bjerkness revealed that while “Northstar FC” garnered the most fan votes, trademark issues prevented the NSC from choosing that specific name.
“But that’s why we’re going with the Stars nickname; in recognition of the fan votes and that Minnesota is the North Star State,” said Bjerkness.
Bjerkness did acknowledge that fans may develop a team identity and another nickname on their own.
“There’s a tradition of that in international soccer, and we’d be very supportive of that,” said Bjerkness. “This will be the fans’ team.”
During the webcast, Bjerkness also updated fans on some of the major developments coming in the near future:
- » The league will be announcing the game schedule early next week. As soon as that is finalized, the Stars will begin ticket sales.
- » A new coach will be hired within a week to 10 days.
- » Players will begin to be signed soon after a coach is selected. It will take about eight weeks to fill the team’s roster.
- » Coerver Coaching Minnesota has been selected as a partner to operate youth soccer camps and clinics for the team.
The new team’s website will be www.nscminnesota.org. At the current time, that URL directs viewers to the NSC Minnesota Stars section on the National Sports Center’s website. The team’s complete website will be launched in early March.
NSC Minnesota Stars will begin play this April as a member of a professional soccer league made up of teams from the United Soccer Leagues (USL) and the North American Soccer League (NASL).
The league will consist of two six-team conferences – the USL Conference and the NASL Conference. The USL Conference will include teams from Austin, Minnesota, Portland (Ore.), Puerto Rico, Rochester (N.Y.) and Tampa Bay. The NASL Conference will consist of teams from Baltimore, Carolina, Miami, Montreal, St. Louis and Vancouver.
This new team will replace the Minnesota Thunder at the division II level.