New United Soccer League team will be called Las Vegas Lights FC

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

7 years ago

Brett Lashbrook, founder of Las Vegas Soccer LLC, during an event celebrating his new Las Vegas soccer team to play in the United Soccer League during an event at the Zappos campus in Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 11, 2017. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco

(Facebook)

United Soccer League president Jake Edwards, left, and CEO Alec Papadakis, right, look on as Brett Lashbrook, founder of Las Vegas Soccer LLC, celebrates his new Las Vegas soccer team to play in the USL during an event at the Zappos campus in Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 11, 2017. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco

It’s official: Cashman Field’s soccer tenants will be Las Vegas Lights FC.

The United Soccer League team, which will begin play in February, announced its name at Fremont Street Experience shortly after midnight Tuesday, posting the name on the downtown area’s giant screen through a Facebook live feed.

The name was selected from six finalists, after 10,371 fans voted online at VegasProSoccer.com. The order of finish after Lights was Las Vegas FC, Las Vegas Silver, Club Vegas, Viva Vegas and Las Vegas Action.

When founder Brett Lashbrook unveiled the finalists for the new USL team’s name last month, the Lights “stood out alone as a great name,” said Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who has been pushing for years for professional soccer in Las Vegas.

The name translates easily into Spanish — Las Vegas Luces — and it evokes the city’s neon-lit downtown, Goodman said.

“I think all of us had different ideas — something that’s new but expresses Las Vegas and its explosive entertainment nature,” Goodman said. “There was no question in my mind Lights was it.”

Goodman was enthusiastic about the new name on social media early Tuesday morning, where she tweeted she “can’t wait to watch” the new team play.

The team is now asking the public to submit designs, ideas and colors at LasVegasLightsFC.com to help the team come up with its new logo, which will be revealed in the coming weeks.

All ideas must be submitted by Sept. 8. Fans can also put down a $20 deposit for season tickets on the website.

The team was approved on July 19 when the Las Vegas City Council voted for a 15-year lease agreement for the USL team to play its home games in Cashman Field starting in February.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow@BenSGotz on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Jamie Munks contributed to this story.

“This club is for the fans, by the fans, of the fans for our great city” – Brett Lashbrook

Here’s a break down of how the fans voted… pic.twitter.com/1as3LT4W8s

— Las Vegas Lights FC (@LVlightsFC) August 29, 2017