Established
1994
City
Columbus
League History
1996 – Present / Major League Soccer
Team History
1996 - Present / Columbus Crew
Nickname
Crew - As a sports fan, have you ever wondered where the Columbus Crew nickname originated? The answer may surprise you!
The Columbus Crew was founded in 1994 and is one of the original Major League Soccer (MLS) teams. Since its inception, it has been known as “the Crew.” But why? When MLS launched in 1996, it turned out that they wanted to give each team a unique identity and thus gave them nicknames instead of simply using their city names or logos.
For the Columbus Club, this meant selecting something representing hard work and blue-collar values—crucial to Ohioans everywhere, hence their choice for ‘Crew’! This name also reflects how many people worked together during construction projects such as building stadiums or bridges: crews who put in long hours with dedication until completion. By choosing this moniker, they paid homage to these workers and those who had helped bring professional soccer back into America's consciousness over two decades ago.
As part of celebrating its 25th anniversary season last year (2019), the club unveiled an updated version of its logo featuring three stars representing past successes along with four stripes symbolizing progress towards future success - all while still keeping true to its core values like hard work & determination embodied by 'the crew' moniker itself! So next time someone asks about your favorite team's origin story – now you know exactly where it comes from - Hard Work & Dedication just like any good 'crew' should demonstrate!!
Championship
MLS Cups 3
2023, 2020, 2008
Stadium
2016 – Present / Mapfre Stadium
1999 - 2015 / Columbus Crew Stadium
1996 - 1999 / Ohio Stadium
Owner
2018 - Present / Jimmy Haslam, Dee Haslam, Peter H. Edwards Jr., and other investors (Columbus Partnership)
2013 - 2018 / Anthony Precourt (Precourt Sports Ventures LLC)
2006 - 2013 / Clark Hunt
1995 - 2006 / Lamar Hunt
- 2015
- 2017
- 2018
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2023
-
Columbus Crew SC Team Formation
On June 15, 1994, Major League Soccer announced that Columbus, Ohio, would be home to one of the ten founding members of the new top-flight North American professional soccer league. Columbus had promised construction of a soccer-specific stadium and had sold over 12,000 season-ticket deposits. The team was tentatively named the Columbus Eclipse in its application to the league, as ... -
club reaches the 2017 MLS Cup Conference Final
In 2017: The club finishes fifth in the Eastern Conference and tenth overall in the league, returning to the playoffs. The club also reaches the MLS Cup Conference Final but loses to Toronto FC 1-0 on aggregate. The club also reaches the U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round but loses to FC Cincinnati 1-0. The club also faces a potential relocation ... -
The Crew SC club reached the MLS Cup Conference Semi-Finals
In 2018, The Crew SC club reached the MLS Cup Conference Semi-Finals but loses to New York Red Bulls 3-1 on aggregate. -
Browns owners agreed to buy Columbus Crew
In 2018, The Crew SC club secured its future in Columbus as a new ownership group led by Dee and Jimmy Haslam and Dr. Pete Edwards agreed to buy the team from Precourt and pledges to build a new stadium in downtown Columbus. -
The Crew SC club hires Caleb Porter as its new head coach
In 2019, The Crew SC club hires Caleb Porter as its new head coach and Tim Bezbatchenko as its new president and general manager. -
COVID Year MLS Champs Columbus Crew SC in 2020
The 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs (branded as the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for sponsorship reasons) was the 25th edition of the MLS Cup Playoffs, the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top soccer league in the United States and Canada. The tournament culminated the 2020 MLS regular season. The playoffs began on November 20 and concluded with ... -
Third MLS Championship for the Columbus Crew
The Major League Soccer (MLS) Championship Series between the Columbus Crew and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) was a thrilling affair with soccer fans worldwide on edge. The series, which began with a 1-1 draw in Columbus, Ohio, on October 25th, culminated in an exciting 3-2 victory for LAFC at Banc of California Stadium to win their first MLS Cup ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Crew
The Columbus Crew is one of the original Major League Soccer (MLS) teams founded in 1994. The team has a long and storied history, including winning the MLS Cup twice and multiple Supporters' Shields and U.S Open Cups. In addition to their on-field success, they have become known for their passionate fan base, making them one of the most recognizable clubs in North America.
The Crew’s first major championship came in 2008 when they won both the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup under head coach Sigi Schmid who was named Coach of The Year for his efforts that season. They followed up this success with another MLS Cup win two years later under Robert Warzycha, who had taken over from Schmid after he left to manage Seattle Sounders FC before the 2010 season start date. This second title cemented Columbus’ status as an elite club within American soccer circles while simultaneously solidifying its place amongst some of Europe's biggest clubs due to its historic double-winning campaign just two seasons apart from each other.
Since then, however, things have not gone quite so smoothly for Columbus Crew SC; despite reaching three more conference finals since 2011 (including last year), none ended with a trophy being lifted by players or staff members wearing black & gold stripes on their jerseys - something which will no doubt be rectified sooner rather than later given recent developments at MAPFRE Stadium where new ownership group Haslam Sports Group are investing heavily into improving facilities around it such investment can only bode well for future successes both off and on-field alike!
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history