The Making of Racing Louisville FC

The NWSL is about to officially add Racing Louisville FC to its roster with the upcoming Expansion Draft. So, we’re taking the opportunity to learn a little bit more about the league’s latest team. 

First off, Racing Louisville  joins a proud line of teams of “Racing” teams, with clubs across Europe — Racing Club de France — and South America — Racing Club de Avellaneda — adopting the word. Racing Louisville is, however, one of the few teams that has actual ties to racing, with its home city’s long history of horse racing and the famous Kentucky Derby. 

What does “racing” mean?

Many of the early sports teams with “Racing” as part of their name took the moniker from being part of a general sports club. If the first sport the club competed in was racing, people would call it a “racing club.” If the first sport the team competed in was soccer, people called it a “football club” or FC. After that, several teams took on the “Racing” name, just because it sounded fast and flashy. “Racing” now ranks with United or City as a commonly used name.

Women’s soccer in Louisville

The NWSL became the first top sports league to come to Louisville, with the women’s team acting as an expansion from the men’s USL team, Louisville City FC. When the team was first announced in 2019, it was originally called “Proof Louisville FC.” The name was an homage to the spirits industry, where proof is a measure of alcohol content. 

Almost immediately fans began to fight against the name. One petition on Change.com was filed under, “The name sucks yo”. When interviewed, fans said they wanted to feel like part of the family. The organization went to a sports branding expert to develop a new concept for the team. 

Racing Louisville FC

In July 2020, the team re-emerged with the new name “Racing Louisville FC,” which the fans liked better. Ownership also ditched the original (and disliked) logo and colors – and came out with a set of symbols that wrapped around the history of the city and the horse track. The colors would be beautiful on any jockey’s uniform: lavender, deep violet, and mint green. The club is marked by the fleur de lis linking in King Louis, the city’s namesake. 

There was talk that Racing Louisville might debut in the 2020 season, but the team took a blow when that season was shortened by Covid-19. They plan to join the NWSL for the 2021 season instead, playing in the brand-new Lynn Family Stadium, which they’ll share with Louisville City FC.

Racing has already earned its name by debuting earlier than any other team, in relation to its play schedule. They also raced to announce their first name — Proof — before the fans were ready. Currently, they are looking to grab up some hot stars from the USWNT in the draft and race into the new season. Racing is more than just a tie to Louisville and the Kentucky Derby, it’s a way of life.   

Feature photo via Facebook @Racing Louisville FC

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