The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC season has officially begun. Today the Switchbacks organization hosted a press conference during which Club President Nick Ragain made several significant announcements to the gathered audience consisting of local media, staff, coaches and players.
Switchbacks Stadium No More: Welcome to Weidner Field!
The first announcement was somewhat anti-climatic in that it was a jersey reveal of uniforms identical to those of last season, with the exception of some important additional sponsorship partner logos. Ragain then went on to introduce the new sponsorship partners, all of whom have strong local ties to Colorado Springs, as well as respected reputations that extend further afield.
For the third successive season, the front of the Switchbacks jerseys will carry Penrose St. Francis sponsorship, along with their partner Centura Orthopedics (a division of Centura Health), one of the largest and most respected medical care organizations in the region. New this season the right jersey sleeve will include another sponsor partners logo, that of Colorado Technical University. Curiously missing from the jersey sleeve though, at least those on display today, was the Colorado Springs ‘Olympic City, USA’ logo, which was added to the shirt just last year. No word yet on whether this will be a print option for supporters purchasing jerseys this season.
Finally, Weidner (pronounced wide-ner) Apartment Homes logo will now adorn the back of the jersey just below the squad numbers, but as Ragain went on to announce Weidner’s partnership with the Switchbacks is even more far-reaching and significant. In addition to providing housing for some of the Switchbacks players, a crucial support for a squad containing so many players new to Colorado Springs, Ragain revealed that ‘for the upcoming and near future’, ‘Switchbacks Stadium’ will be renamed ‘Weidner Field’.
Greg Cerbana, Vice President of Weidner Apartment Homes stated that despite business interests in several states and Canada, ‘We’ve chosen to have our Weidner brand represented and merged here with the Switchbacks brand, and you can thank the fact that soccer has grown so dramatically’. He concluded with somewhat of a rallying cry; ‘We can’t wait for this next season, and we can’t wait for these gentlemen to bring a Championship back to Colorado Springs’.
Also of note, a section of the stadium will be designated ‘The Business Club’, and be sponsored by another long-term Switchbacks partner and respected Colorado Springs business, Accelerated Wealth.
With the return of a strong coaching team headed up once again by former US international player Steve Trittschuh and former Jamaican international Wolde Harris, a large number of new players several of whom with their own international experience, more new player announcements still expected, and now a stadium legitimized by a strong local and nationally recognizable business brand, 2017 may be shaping up to be the Switchbacks best season yet.
