COLUMBUS, Ohio — After the Columbus Crew unveiled its new name "Columbus SC" — dropping "Crew" from the name — and a different logo on Monday, the team's ownership group released a statement on Wednesday following fan outage.

"We have consistently appreciated, respected, and embraced our Supporters," said the ownership group led by Dee and Jimmy Haslam and Pete Edwards. "We value their passion and loyalty to the Crew, and clearly, this process was not aligned with how we intend to operate. The feedback from representatives of the Nordecke was not elevated and discussed at the appropriate level or incorporated enough into our process.

"We have been and will continue to be committed and excited about investing in the Crew, its players, and our fan experience so that we best represent the Columbus community. Our dedication to winning championships, taking great care of our fans, and giving back to the community will remain our steadfast focus. At the same time, we will turn our focus to creating substantive and meaningful dialogue with the Nordecke on moving forward together.”

The organization made the rebranding official on Monday, but the Crew's supporters section Nordecke learned of the club changing its name late last week. The team also unveiled a logo change featuring a white "C" against a black background with a gold outline. 

“The current direction of our Club and our city provides a natural time to examine our identity going forward,” said Crew President & General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “Our identity and brand evolution includes a shift in our mindset to be consistent contenders on the pitch, but also includes evolving our look both in the community and across competitions. With the upcoming completion of our new, modern, dynamic stadium, our world-class OhioHealth Performance Center, and coming off an MLS Cup championship, our marks are aligned with where we are headed as a city and as an organization. We are proud to represent Columbus on the global stage of soccer and aspire to help elevate the city and honor it for what it has done for the Club. We are Columbus Soccer Club, we are The Crew, and we will always be the Black & Gold.”

Columbus SC plans to use the "Crew" as a nickname for the club.

"Recently, images have surfaced depicting a new logo for Columbus Crew SC. The Crew and the Black and Gold remain at our core, and we continue to embrace and respect our heritage while modernizing our marks as our club and the city of Columbus evolve. We look forward to revealing those in their entirety in the near future," the Crew wrote in a statement on Twitter. 

Prominent Crew fan groups like the Nordecke and Yellow Nation Army discouraged the rebranding over social media. 

"The Crew has been the club’s name and heart since its inception, it has served our rallying cry when we had to save the team from relocation, and our unified cheer when we have seen victory," the Nordecke wrote in a statement. 

The Yellow Nation Army held a protest at the Historic Crew Stadium Monday afternoon to protest the change.  

The team has been thinking about changing its colors and name since January 2020, according to the Columbus Dispatch

The team released a hype video over Twitter, and while some fans expressed confusion over the change, other fans gave positive comments. 

"Let's go!!! I love it! All aboard the hype train for the new era! #CREW96," wrote one user.

The announcement comes just a few months before the Crew moves into its new stadium July 3, competing against New England. 

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