The Washington NFL franchise, earlier known as the Washington Redskins, is formally going to change its name to the Washington Football Team.
The new team name is taking effect right now, and it will stay set up “pending adoption of a new team name,” the team declared in an announcement on Thursday.
The name change comes after the team confronted expanded strain to change its name because of its racist connotations, and the team reported on July 13 that it would be changing the team’s name.
“The decision to use ‘Washington Football Team’ for this season allows the franchise the ability to undertake an in-depth branding process to properly include player, alumni, fan, community, and sponsor input,” the statement reads.
“To date, we have been pleased to see so many people putting forward their vision of what the new name and design should be on their social media channels and we look forward to including their feedback as this process progresses.”
A man named Philip Martin McCauley has registered various trademarks for potential team names, and McCauley disclosed to CNN that he has offered the trademarks to the Washington Football Team and NFL free of charge.
Washington said it will start “the process of retiring all Redskins branding from team properties whether it be FedExField, Redskins Park, other physical and digital spaces” starting tomorrow and over the next 50 days.
The team would like to finish retiring the Redskins branding by the team’s home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 13.
