Buffalo Athletic

FC Buffalo currently plays in the NPSL. The team is one of the few bigger markets in such a small league. In 2019, when Detroit, Cleveland, and Milwaukee jumped from the NPSL to the NASL, FC Buffalo was looking to get out of such a small league. That year, with limited big competition, they would go on to win the NPSL title. The following season in 2020, Buffalo and Chattanooga jumped from the NPSL to the USL. The team rebranded to Buffalo Athletic for the new league. Western New York was now the home of a bitter rivalry. 2019 was also the year the Rochester Rhinos went on to win the USL championship. The Rhinos won a home and home series by a combined total of 6-1. This didn't sit well for the team to the west. Athletic had a rough first year. With new financial backing and a stadium being built closer to downtown, Atletic was looking for new toys. The GM signed a new manager, two players from Norway to help the team and create chemistry in mid. Adding that to a striker on loan from New York City FC, Buffalo swept Rochester in 2021. In their new stadium in 2022, the fanbase exploded with the new closer market. Athletic attracted players from New York and Ontario to play in their system. In 2024, with a strong roster built out of spite, Athletic experienced two of the greatest games in their history. Two wins in the US Open Cup over Chicago at home and DC United on the road made people believe this team was legit. Buffalo went on to beat the Kitsap Pumas, looking for a repeat championship. That was their last season in the USL. The team jumped to the NASL to complete the Rust Belt Derby with Detroit and Cleveland. The team has gotten worse since then. Their Norwegian duo went to play for Portland and the Cosmos, respectively. The team now starts 8 of 11 players from their youth system, but an Englishman now is playing in defense, so they could turn some heads. They're an outside shot to earn promotion, but Buffalo shouldn't be taken lightly. I did a split crest with the lightning bolt and star designs from the city flag. I used black to balance both colors out. The kits are pretty simple, and the first fully yellow home kits of the project so far!