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Indianapolis NASL team to be called Indy Eleven

IndyEleven

By DAN KARELL

Since being announced as the latest NASL expansion team on January 16th, the Indianapolis pro soccer franchise has stayed tight-lipped about what the team’s name, colors, and crest would be.

On Thursday afternoon at an outdoor ceremony in Indiana’s capital city, President Peter Wilt and the entire front office staff announced that the team would be named Indy Eleven, with a red, white, and blue color scheme, and a crest with the statue of victory, an Indianapolis landmark.

The team says that one of the reasons for calling the team “Indy Eleven” is in reference to the eleven players on the field during a match and the 11th volunteer infantry regiment during the Civil War, which was founded on April 25, 1861.

“The fans of this team spoke loudly through the ‘Name the Team’ promotion that they wanted a traditional name that connected to the history of Indianapolis,” Wilt said on the team’s website. “The Indy Eleven is traditional, yet not trite. It’s unique, yet not gimmicky. It feels both fresh and historic.”

In the days leading up to the announcement, the front office announced that they had received over 3,000 deposits for season tickets when the team enters the league in 2014. The league currently has eight teams, with Indianapolis, the Virginia Cavalry, and the Ottawa Fury joining at the start of next season.

Comments

  1. I think they are trying to have a historical connection. If they didnt like Racing Indy, I think Infantry FC would’ve been cool. If you have to explain what 11 means..then the connection isn’t there.

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  2. Glad SBI posted this. Maybe the next time he has an expansion story more than one person will list Indianapolis as a potential MLS city. It was literally me and one other guy. Meanwhile, people were trying to pump of places like Atlanta and St. Louis.

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  3. It’s a good thing this is an NASL team. Because if they were MLS, then it would be ironic for a team to have a hipster name.

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  4. I think the 11th was a zouave unit. If Indy 11’s nickname becomes ‘The Zouaves’ I will become a diehard fan. History for the win!

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  5. I wish they would have gone with the full Indianapolis name and let fans call it Indy Eleven. It’s as if when the Fire came in to MLS their name would have been Chi-Town Fire.

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    • Uhh NO!!!!!
      Not even close
      I’m from Chicago (born & raised) and Chi-Town doesn’t = Indy on any level
      Not sure where you came up with that one. Hell, most Chicagoans barely use Chi-Town and the only time many of us hear is when non Chicagoans use it along with Windy City.

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      • Indy = Chi town = Frisco = any other shortening of the name. Born and raised and left. I never call it Indy or Nap Town or whatever other reference an outsider would.

        Agree that Indianapolis ____ would have been better than shortening.

        11 doesn’t work. Glad it wasn’t the Gerbials or Twisters or some other mascot based team name though.

        For some other posters in the thread, Idpls does have the Indianapolis Indians which does play AAA baseball in the summer. They play at Victory Field (reference to the monument like on the 11 crest).

        Also, the Pacers were named after the race horses that used to be part of the State fair (which is where the B-Ball team played in the ABA days. It’s not a race car reference.

        Better names
        – Football Club of Indianapolis
        – Circle City FC
        – Crossroads FC

        You could also name it for the neighborhood where the stadium sits. Fall Creek FC or even Broadripple FC would be sweet (not sure where the stadium is)!

        Last – Lots of clubs names from back in the day could have taken the designation. I’m partial to “The Saints” myself.

  6. Indy eleven sounds like a better name for a supporter group than a team name TBH.

    But good to see another team starting up. Best of luck

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  7. im from Houston but have lived in Indy for ten yrs…im a huge MLS and Dynamo fan and plan to support the Indy soccer team…however,regardless of the historical reference to the 11th regiment,this name is horrible..it does not conjur up any kind of emotion or thought except, WHAT?

    I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED INDIANAPOLIS FC. But be that as it may I will still support the team and go to the games with my kids and I will hope that some day Indianapolis 11 reach the MLS level….congrats to the team and the city for bringing the worlds game here.

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  8. I am in Indy and love the crest and colors. I am on the fence about the name. I have deposited for season tickets for my family so I will be there no matter what. At least we don’t have a moniker out of the WNBA or youth teams. I wanted Racing Indy SC but that was nixed due to the Indy Racing League. My next vote was Circle City SC or something like that but outside of Indy, no one knows we are the circle city. The Eleven could be worse… but it could be better too. Oh well, looking forward to 2014!

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  9. Well, if you can’t please all of the people some of the time… I like the IDEA of trying to link to some Indiana history, but this is pathetic. I live in Indy and it will be hard to cheer on a team with such a lame name. I think they were too afraid of Indy Racing (auto racing) to go anywhere near most of the better names. They had some decent ideas that we voted on, but this was NOT one of them.

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    • The shield is decent though (except for the name). For those of you not from the area, the figure is on top of the Soldier’s and Sailor’s (Civil War) Monument which is the hub of downtown (think the Mall in D.C.).

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    • I had previously heard through the grapevine that Racing Indy was a preferred name. I wonder if here was some concern that non-footie midwestern folks might never catch on that this was a soccer team. We are pretty literal here in the heartland.

      The reference to the Civil War unit saves the Indy 11 for me.

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      • Racing Indy would have been sweet, but…

        1. It was confusing
        2. The racing community put up some protest against the name.

      • Indianapolis Flyers would have also worked. Like a cross between the Philly Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings.

    • If you’re concerned about IndyCar or IMS, you walk right up to them and talk. IndyCar could use exposure and/or money and I’m sure something could have been worked out.

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  10. “The Indy Eleven is traditional, yet not trite. It’s unique, yet not gimmicky. It feels both fresh and historic.”

    Uh, OK, sure…

    How does the political CW go? On, yeah: “If you’re explaining, you’re losing.”

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  11. I like the shield. I didn’t like the name at first. The historical connection is pretty cool especially if the people of Indy get behind it. The 11th volunteer Infantry fought in the Battle of Shiloh. Still, it seems like a bit of a stretch for people to think of the 11th Infantry when some says the Indy 11.

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    • Their Commish has said, repeatedly, that they will become as successful as they can, regardless of what division US Soccer wants to label them with. Which is great for people in NASL cities without an MLS club. Before anyone complains, this is what happens without pro/rel. There is no real reason for the separate divisions, unless they decide to work out a farm system set up like USL did.

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  12. That’s a pretty bad name. This is even worse than a Europosing nickname.

    I’m especially disappointed considering Wilt is attached to this. I expected better from him.

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  13. I could see Indy being a pretty good soccer city in the future. No summer sports teams in the city, just the Pacers and Colts for fall/winter sports. 2,000,000 people in a metro area without a pro sports team competing from April/May until September.

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  14. Props to them for this, it takes some courage to do something different like this rather than going for “Fury” or “Flames” or “Eagles”. I think it’ll pay off for them in the long run.

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  15. Very exciting for Indianapolis. Great job by them all around with the name and the crest. Do I see a checkered jersey ala Croatia in the future for Indy Eleven?

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  16. well done, something different with tradition and local flavor. they absolutely nailed it. whereas Virginia cavalry was redundant. it looks like they are following San Antonio foot steps marketing the right way. most mls teams dont get it!!!, like Scorpions and Indy eleven. I absolutely luv that name1

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