Loons’ Potential USL Affiliate Unveils Name, Logo

Nothing’s official — yet — but the USL League One club likely to become Minnesota United’s lower-league affiliate unveiled its brand identity on Sunday.

The team will be named Forward Madison FC, which was submitted and voted on by fans. “Forward” is the state motto of Wisconsin.

The club will also incorporate flamingoes into the new brand. “We also incorporated the Official Bird of Madison, the Pink Plastic Flamingo, which was also a popular name submission by the fans,” Managing Director Peter Wilt said in the club’s release.

Students at the University of Wisconsin, in Madison, placed 1,000 plastic flamingoes on campus as a prank in 1979.

The club is holding tryouts this weekend as it builds a roster for its inaugural season in the new USL League One, which will be the third tier of professional soccer in the United States.

Kyle Eliason of Pro Soccer USA reported that United was in “advanced negotiations” with Madison’s ownership group.

Forward Madison FC will also be affiliated with a yet-to-be-named team in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Interested in covering Forward Madison FC? Check our openings page for details on our content plans related to the new team.