The Crew unveils new 2022 jersey, ‘The Gold Standard’ kit

Saturday, the Columbus Crew unveiled the team’s primary kit for the 2022 Major League Soccer season. Named “The Gold Standard Kit” by Adidas, the Black & Gold return to wearing gold for this year after spending 2021 with gray primary kits and black alternate.

Columbus Crew - Rooted Creative

Columbus’ new gold kit features a pattern of triangles and trapezoid shapes, an “Isometric Checkerboard pattern,” throughout both the body and sleeves. This is a design that’s recognizable to anybody who has visited the Crew’s home of Lower.com Field since it opened in the summer of 2021.

Columbus Crew - Rooted Creative

After the intricate pattern work, the next thing most supporters are likely to notice is the crest. On May 10, the Crew announced a rebrand to Columbus SC, with the new banner-inspired logo over the circular crest that debuted for the 2015 season. After the controversial 2021 rebrand, the Black & Gold scaled back the changes to the original Columbus Crew name and added 96 to the logo itself, instead of a triangle in the defunct Columbus SC moniker.

Supporters will also notice the two stars above the crest. In 2021, the Crew’s crest featured a gold star for being the defending champions after winning the 2020 MLS Cup. On this year’s jerseys are two silver stars sitting above the rebranded logo, honoring both the 2008 and 2020 league titles.

Columbus Crew - Rooted Creative

On the bottom right hand corner of the jersey is a logo outlining the state of Ohio. Inside are the same trapezoids featured throughout the kit itself. It isn’t a new logo, as the Crew used it in their 2021 rebrand marketing.

Sponsor-wise, the Gold Standard Kit still includes Columbus-based Nationwide, who operates just up the road from Lower.com Field. It’s the second season that the Black & Gold will feature the Nationwide logo after the 2020 season had Nationwide Children’s Hospital as the kit sponsor as Columbus was still in a final year of stadium naming rights with rival insurance provider MAPFRE Insurance.

Columbus Crew - Rooted Creative

On the back collar of the jersey, there is another feature, a “Cr96ew” logo. Like the shape pattern and jock tag, it features marketing that Columbus has used in the past.

Since 2000, the Black & Gold have had gold kits, affectionately known as “the banana kits” by some. Even in 2016, when the team debuted the polarizing For Columbus kits, the Crew played some matches in the more traditional gold.

A return to the full gold is a welcome sight for supporters. However, there are a handful of people that continue protesting the team’s new logo by not purchasing any new team-sold merchandise where it’s prominently featured. Regardless, the return to a gold kit will attract supporters.

Like past seasons, there will be an authentic and replica kit available for sale. The authentic version features all of the characteristics in the unveiled kit. A replica version is made of a different material and removes the smaller details as a trade for a lower price point.

Blank kits for MLS teams in 2022 start at $89.99 for the adult sized replica jerseys and $134.99 for an authentic. Replicas with customization of names and numbers cost an additional $30 for replica and $25 for authentic.

The Crew unveiled the kit at Lower.com Field on Saturday with an open house at The Pub, alongside the jersey’s availability at the Crew team shop. Both The Pub and team shop are open Saturday until 7 p.m. ET.