The Chicago Red Stars came under new ownership last September when Laura Ricketts, co-owner of the city’s Cubs in MLB, completed a deal valued at $60 million. At the time, there were more pressing issues top of mind than a rebrand — the fact they finished 12th out of 12 teams in the 2023 NWSL table, making sure their superstar Mal Swanson got re-signed, and finding a new head coach to guide the team out of the pit.
Now, with Chicago having qualified for next month’s title playoffs under the guidance of head coach Lorne Donaldson and Swanson contracted to 2028, the club has had the time to focus more long-term, with a new(ish) name and crest.
Announcing: The Chicago Stars Football Club.
“It was something that Laura had been thinking about when she originally purchased the Red Stars about a year ago.” Chicago’s chief marketing officer Kay Bradley tells The Athletic. “So the wheels were turning, but obviously we didn’t want to rush it.
“This is a really big inflection point as we think about the course of the last 12 months of the club. It felt like the right time to signify the future, and all we believe that’s ahead of us from a progress perspective.”
Chicago will keep the existing name and crest through the remainder of this season and then begin the…
