Spokane, Wash. – Spokane, and professional soccer in America – meet Spokane Zephyr FC.
Today United Soccer League (USL) Spokane unveiled the name, crest and colors of its new professional women’s soccer team – Spokane Zephyr FC – at a historic event bustling with upwards of 2,000 community members at the Davenport Grand Hotel.
Zephyr, which means “a wind from the west,” conveys the power of this team – not only on the field but also as a force for change in our community and country. As one of eight inaugural teams in the new Division I USL Super League – along with Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Lexington, Phoenix, Tampa Bay, Tucson, and Washington, D.C. – Spokane Zephyr FC will dramatically expand opportunities for women to pursue careers in professional soccer.
The new league intends to launch as a first division league, reflecting its commitment to the highest standards in American soccer and a collective vision to be a global leader in women’s soccer on and off the field. Spokane Zephyr FC also includes a team in the USL’s W League, the nation’s premier pre-professional women’s league featuring outstanding collegiate athletes from across the country.
“This is a historic day for Spokane, and I am proud to be from Spokane and helping this city to lead a transformation in women’s professional soccer in America,” said Katie Harnetiaux, President of USL Spokane and co-owner of Aequus Sports, which owns the Club. “The USL Super League and Spokane Zephyr FC will give opportunity to hundreds of talented woman athletes, coaches, administrators, and staff members to pursue a career in professional soccer. And the level of play – higher than any we’ve ever seen in Spokane – will wow our fans, inspire our youth, and grow our economy.”
In addition to the club’s name, USL Spokane revealed the team’s crest and colors. The crest, featuring a stylized Z to reflect the movement of wind, evokes the power of change, as the wind does to landscapes over time. The colors are Impact Blue, Basalt, Palouse Gold, and Cloud. The combination of these teal, dark gray, vibrant gold, and white hues conjures images of the Northwest, its seasons and geography that parallels the vibrancy, tenacity, and grit of the Club.
Sunday’s event at the Davenport Grand Hotel welcomed diehard soccer fans and curious community members alike. Attendees not only witnessed the big reveal, but also had a first crack at purchasing Spokane Zephyr FC merchandise and securing deposits for season tickets. There were many other activities too, with drawings and prizes, a photo booth, and bracelet making station where youth created and traded bracelets with team-branded colors and charms.
Some of the Club’s Together Spokane non-profit partners – 90+ Spokane, HUB Sports Center, SYSA, and Thrive International – hosted tables for the community to learn more about their organizations. Finally, the first 250 youth who showed up wearing their team’s jersey received a free Spokane Zephyr FC shirt.
This weekend also marked the opening of USL Spokane’s new team store in the Davenport Grand Hotel, with entrances from the hotel (across from the Main Ballroom) and from the outside on Spokane Falls Blvd. The store offered 15% discounts all weekend and was stocked with new Spokane Velocity FC merchandise – the men’s USL League One team. The store will add Spokane Zephyr FC merchandise in the coming week.
Following the reveal, USL Spokane launched a web page for Spokane Zephyr FC found at www.spokanezephyrfc.com. The team’s new merchandise goes on sale Monday on the new site. Fans can make deposits on season tickets (while they last) or join the waitlist once season ticket deposit capacity is full.
Please find USL Spokane background information, Spokane Zephyr FC Crest, and Brand Overview in this media kit folder.
Spokane Zephyr FC will begin play in August 2024. In addition to the women’s professional club, USL Spokane is fielding the Spokane Velocity FC, a professional men’s Division III team in the USL League One that will kick off its season in April 2024. The women’s W League team will play a 10-week season starting in June 2024. USL Spokane is owned by Aequus Sports LLC; its principals are Katie Harnetiaux, the club president, and Ryan Harnetiaux, both of whom are originally from Spokane. Home games will be played in ONE Spokane Stadium that opened in September 2023 in Spokane’s North Bank Arts and Entertainment District. Learn more, order team merchandise, and make deposits for season tickets at www.spokanezephyrfc.com.
