The Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship are turning 50 this season, and a special crest will be part of the celebrations.
The Rowdies unveiled their 50th anniversary crest on their website and social media channels on Thursday, January 30. The crest will feature prominently on both their primary and secondary kits for the 2025 season, manufactured by Charly, when they are released in the coming weeks.
The anniversary crest features a large gold number 50 inside a green shield with white and gold outlines. The Rowdies’ iconic wordmark sits atop to the 50, while a scarf with “ANNINERSARY” and the years 1975 and 2025 weaves through the number. Tapering lines run in from the sides of the shield and around the number and the scarf.
“We’re proud to be Tampa Bay’s first professional sports team and one of the oldest soccer clubs in the United States,” Tampa Bay Rowdies President Ryan Helfrick said on the team’s website. “Since taking the field in 1975, the club has spent 50 years establishing a unique, entertaining and memorable brand of soccer throughout our numerous achievements. We look forward to celebrating with all Rowdies fans back at Al Lang Stadium this season and to what the next 50 years of Rowdies soccer will bring.”
The 50th anniversary crest will also features on an “exclusive” line of merchandise.
Along with the crest, the Rowdies’ season-long anniversary celebrations include three theme nights honoring “different eras and key moments in Rowdies history”:
- Anniversary Night – Saturday, April 26 vs. Miami FC (Jägermeister Cup)
- Original Era Night – Saturday, August 16 vs. Phoenix Rising
- Modern Era Night – Saturday, October 4 vs. Monterey Bay FC
The Rowdies first took to the pitch in 1975 as part of the original North American Soccer League. They played in that league until it folded in 1984, and won the first NASL championship in 1975. They then operated as an independent team and an indoor soccer team for a few years before joining the American Soccer League in 1988, but folded in 1993. A new incarnation of the Rowdies joined the new NASL in 2010, and won the Soccer Bowl in 2012. In 2017, they made the jump to the USL Championship.
The Rowdies open their 2025 USL Championship regular season with four straight road games against Las Vegas Lights FC, FC Tulsa, Miami FC and Charleston Battery. Their home opener is on Saturday, April 12, when Loudoun United visit Al Lang Stadium.