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.