Keen sports observers sometimes use trademark applications to try to identify the names and locations of potential expansion teams that may be coming to sports leagues. Recent trademark applications by the WNBA and National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) highlight just how complicated expansion team-related applications can be, however.
Let's start with the WNBA. Earlier this year, the WNBA filed applications to register CHARLOTTE STING (Serial Nos. 99,027,594 and 99,027,574); CLEVELAND ROCKERS (Serial No. 99,027,630); DETROIT SHOCK (Serial No. 99,024,363); HOUSTON COMETS (Serial No. 99,027,505); and MIAMI SOL (Serial Nos. 99,027,625 and 99,027,613). Notably, these are all names of teams that were previously WNBA franchises, but went defunct in the 2000s. When the teams folded, the WNBA's trademark registrations relating to those teams were canceled or abandoned. Although the WNBA could potentially be seeking new registrations only for the purpose of protecting "throwback" or "retro" merchandise, press reports indicate that some or all of these cities have submitted bids to the WNBA for a new expansion franchise.
There is a complicating wrinkle for the WNBA, however. An independent basketball league, the Women's Basketball League, has announced plans to launch a six-league team in 2025, including teams called the Cleveland Rockers and the Detroit Shock. The Women's Basketball League filed an application for CLEVELAND ROCKERS (Serial No. 98,201,494) in 2023, and filed applications for DETROIT SHOCK (Serial Nos. 98,096,968 and 98,593,400) in 2023 and 2024. The USPTO granted the 2023 DETROIT SHOCK application, so the mark was registered as of February 4, 2025. It remains to be seen how these dueling marks will impact the WNBA's trademark applications or its possible expansion strategy.
Moving over to the NWSL, the league has announced plans to add two new teams in 2026, in Denver and Boston. (Fans of American football should note that the Denver team announced that Peyton Manning is a part owner; his brother, Eli Manning, is already a part owner of the NWSL team NY/NJ Gotham FC, of which this author is a season ticket holder). As of this writing, the NWSL does not appear to have applied for any trademarks relating to the Denver team and has not announced the name of that team.
The Boston NWSL franchise is a more complicated story. In October 2024, the Boston team announced that it would be called "BOS Nation FC." At the same time, the team unveiled an ad campaign centered on the phrase "Too Many Balls," which was intended to be a playful reference to the lack of women's professional sports teams in Boston. The NWSL filed trademark applications for BOS NATION FC (Serial No. 98,800,586), BOS NATION FOOTBALL CLUB (98,800,579), and TOO MANY BALLS (Serial No. 98,800,596). Both the team name and the marketing campaign met with swift backlash from soccer fans, however, and both were shelved.
In March 2025, the Boston team announced that it considered the feedback and changed the team name to Boston Legacy FC. Simultaneously with the announcement, the NWSL filed trademark applications for BOSTON LEGACY FC (Serial No. 99,104,213) and BOSTON LEGACY FOOTBALL CLUB (Serial No. 99,104,217), which remain pending. The NWSL's applications relating to BOS NATION remain pending too, but presumably those applications will be abandoned in light of the name change.
Things change rapidly in the worlds of sports and trademarks. Trademark applications can give insight into potential expansion plans, but they may not be the final word on how those plans shake out.
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