CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte's new Major League Soccer team is following the sport's traditional European and South American style of having just the city name and no formal nickname.

The team, scheduled to start play in 2022, will be known as Charlotte FC.

Other plain old FCs in the league include Cincinnati, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City and Toronto, though Los Angeles spells out Football Club, and Cincinnati and Dallas place the FC before rather than after the city.

Nashville, which started play this year, is known as Nashville SC. The initials stand for soccer club.

The name announced Wednesday was selected over options that included Charlotte Athletic FC, Charlotte Sliders FC, Charlotte Town FC, Charlotte Monarchs FC, Charlotte Fortune FC and Carolina Crown FC.

The logo includes a crest with a blue crown, representing Charlotte as the Queen City. The blue and black colors are similar to those of the NFL’s Panthers.

Charlotte will begin play in 2022 at Bank of America Stadium, also the home of the NFL’s Carolina’s Panthers.

Team owner David Tepper, who also owns the Panthers, says “we had some fun with the brand name. It should say to fans, ‘this is real, this is happening.’ COVID or no COVID, we are getting ready (to play). It's an exciting day for sure.”

The team was originally set to play in 2021, but the start was moved back a year due to the coronavirus. Tepper said that will give his team even more time to be prepared for its launch.

In a typical season, each MLS team plays 34 regular season league matches — 17 home and 17 away — from March until October, with playoffs ending in November. Teams also play in the U.S. Open Cup and have a chance to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League.

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