When Oklahoma City rejoins the professional soccer ranks in 2028, it will do so under a new name: OKC United.
The name, logo and color scheme of the revamped club were unveiled Wednesday during Mayor David Holt’s State of the City address.
OKC United was the apparent choice dating back to last summer when the ownership group filed a trademark for the name.
“This is a city moving decisively onto the global stage, and United is one of the most recognized names in soccer around the world,” majority owner Christian Kanady told The Oklahoman. “… So it’s only natural to name the club OKC United. Working together is the blueprint for how our city and our team will continue to win for years to come.”
The other name finalists were OKC Bison FC, OKC Lightning FC, OKC Thunderbird FC and OKC Wind FC.
The team’s logo, or crest, honors the state’s Native culture. At the center is an interlocking OKC inside of a sun featuring 39 rays — representing the 39 tribes headquartered in Oklahoma. The team’s shield is in the shape of an arrowhead.
The team’s colors — Midnight Blue, Pink Sunset and Ivory Cloud — are inspired by the Oklahoma sky.
“It doesn’t matter where you live, what you do or where you came from — when we look up, we all see the same colors in the sky,” Kanady said. “The same beauty. Those pink Oklahoma sunsets are unlike anywhere else on earth. The sky became the foundation of our color palette and the emotional through-line of the identity.”
Former Thunder star Russell Westbrook, who’s part of the ownership group, played a key role in the design process. Westbrook was specifically behind the creation of the interlocking OKC.
“A crest is more than a logo. It’s a mirror,” Westbrook said in a news release. “It has to reflect the city, the people and the club all at once, and it has to earn its place on a uniform. Oklahomans are proud and resilient. They don’t need to be told what they’re a part of — they feel it. That’s what this crest is built on … When you see it, you know it’s OKC.”
While Kanady, the CEO and founding partner of Echo Investment Capital, was envisioning an “OKC” logo in which the letters were spelled out clearly, Westbrook shook his head.
“No, CK,” Westbrook told Kanady. “That’s not it.”
Westbrook’s thinking, as relayed by Kanady: “OKC already owns a recognizable brand through the Thunder and our culture. Our crest didn’t need to shout OKC at anyone.”
“Russ said it’s time to be an ‘if you know, you know’ community by designing an ‘if you know, you know’ brand,” Kanady said. “He was right, and it’s the monogram on the crest today.”
It was also decided to go by OKC United rather than Oklahoma City United.
“OKC is what Oklahomans already call this city,” Kanady said. “It’s what fans yell in the stands. It’s what shows up on hats and T-shirts that are worn across the world. Our community is OKC. This club belongs to that community, and we wanted the name on the crest and kit to reflect that.”
The name “United” is a common identifier among historic English soccer clubs like Manchester United, Newcastle United and Leeds United.
“The team name United has a rich history in soccer, but the word means something more in Oklahoma City,” Holt said in a news release. “OKC is a community that works together to find common ground. Our unity is how we have built ourselves into America’s most dynamic city. And nothing brings us together like our sports teams. It is fitting in every way that our soccer team will be known as OKC United, and we can’t wait to welcome them to the pitch in our new stadium.”
The 10,000-seat stadium where OKC United will play is expected to open in 2028, when the team will make its debut in the championship division of the United Soccer League — the second-best league in the U.S. behind Major League Soccer. It’s the same league OKC Energy FC competed in. The Energy suspended operations in 2022.
The stadium is funded by the city as part of MAPS 4, but Kanady donated the land in lower Bricktown on which the stadium is being built.
Along with Westbrook, Kanady has recruited Thunder star Jalen Williams, former OU quarterback Baker Mayfield, former U.S. men’s national team star Jozy Altidore and Olympian Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to invest in the club and surrounding stadium district.
Kanady hired Sead Karaselimović, who recently spent seven seasons with MLS’ Sporting Kansas City, to run the club’s soccer operations.
A club that, up until Wednesday, didn’t have an official name.
Now it does: OKC United.
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma City’s new pro soccer team officially unveils its name, logo
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