JAXUSL, the group bringing men’s and women’s professional soccer to Northeast Florida, announced Dec. 12 its official name: Sporting Club Jacksonville.
It will commonly be abbreviated to “Sporting JAX,” the ownership group said.
The crest, colors and motto were also unveiled at the announcement event at WJCT Studios in Downtown.
The community-chosen name is a result of a year of interaction and research that included listening sessions with soccer and sports fans in seven counties in Northeast Florida, a news release said.
“Our new club identity embodies the bold, inclusive Northeast Florida community that we know and love,” said Ricky Caplin, Sporting JAX majority owner, in the release.
“We are committed to being exceptional stewards for the club, while further establishing our new men’s, women’s and youth teams to represent our vibrant community.”
The name succeeds the former JAXUSL organizational name.
The club’s circular crest represents inclusivity and is “bold and determined, like the ‘Bold City,’” the release said. It includes the bold, white and stylized letters “JAX” inside a bright blue shield.
They said the club motto, “Lift Every Voice,” was derived from the hymn “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” adapted to music on Dec. 12, 1900, by Jacksonville brothers James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson.
The club was founded in 2020 by a local Jacksonville ownership group.
Its goal is to operate a men’s professional USL Championship Club, a women’s professional USL Super League Club and a USL Youth Academy. It is working to develop a 15,000-capacity community stadium and training facilities to host the clubs in Northeast Florida, the release said.
The ownership group, led by Caplin, includes prominent sports figures Tim Tebow and Fred Taylor and professional soccer executive Steve Livingstone, all of whom attended the announcement event.
The location of the club’s stadium has not been determined, Caplin told news organizations after the event.
“I think we have it narrowed down to our final two sites,” he said.
Caplin said he hopes the group will be able to announce the location early next year, possibly in January or February.
