U.S. Soccer considering rebrand and new crest

The United States could have a new crest and an entirely new look by 2016. The USSF board of directors discussed a rebrand, which would include a new crest, at their last meeting on June 1 in New York.

The news of the possible rebrand came courtesy of the meeting's minutes, which indicated that USSF commercial officer Jay Berhalter had informed the board that they had begun work on the process.

"[Berhalter] informed the Board that staff would be working with [apparel sponsor] Nike on the process of rebranding, including the crest, with a tentative launch period of 2016 for the rebranding effort," read the minutes.

Nike and U.S. Soccer agreed to a contract extension through 2022 so their working together on this makes sense. Nike has extensive experience in branding and are well-situated to help the federation come up with the best rebrand possible. The Don't Tread On Me campaign from 2005, which included an alternate snake-based crest, was designed by Nike and was wildly popular.

Unveiling a new crest for 2016 makes sense. That is when the U.S. will host Copa America, the biggest men's tournament on American soil since the 1994 World Cup and it will have huge media and public attention.

The USSF has long been mocked for having an out-dated crest, which looks very cheesy and very reminiscent of the mid-1990's, when it was designed. The crest has been in use since 1993 and has not aged well, but this is the first time that the federation appears to be making serious strides towards changing it.

Exactly what the USSF and Nike have in mind is unclear. They could use the popular centennial crest full-time, re-work the current crest, update the Don't Tread On Me crest or come up with something entirely new. Regardless of what they do, most fans will be happy to see something new and, hopefully, it will be something that ages better.