The Springfield Cardinals rebrand to Ozarks Springbirds

Published: Oct. 6, 2026 at 6:22 PM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Edited News Release/KY3) - The next chapter of professional baseball has arrived in the Queen City of the Ozarks.

The ballclub formerly known as the Springfield Cardinals announced today that they are officially rebranding the franchise as the Ozarks Springbirds. With this comes new on-field jerseys and caps, as well as new logos and a colorway refresh, while continuing to play as the proud Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals at Route 66 Stadium in Downtown Springfield.

“We are extremely excited to launch our new brand identity today,” Springbirds General Manager Dan Reiter said. “Our new name and logos were created with three things in mind: our city, our region, and our birds to create something we can all be proud to call our own. We can’t wait to see the Springbirds take the field in 2027.”

The new primary logo features the new team name atop a brand new Cardinals-inspired bird to continue a strong relationship with the parent club. It also features three prominent components of the Springfield Flag: the top of the compass crown, the three stars, and the light blue background. The crown is a reference to Springfield’s nickname: the Queen City of the Ozarks. The three four-pointed stars represent three elements of the city: innovative spirit, connection with nature and Ozarks culture. A light blue background represents tranquil Ozarks waterways.

The franchise selected “Ozarks” as its new geographical identifier to unify the fanbase, which supports this team from all over the region. The primary logo prominently features a beautiful green landscape, vibrant waterways and tree branches to outline the shield to display the beauty of Southwest Missouri.

“St. Louis has their Cardinals, Memphis has their Redbirds and now the Ozarks have their Springbirds.” Reiter continued. “We love where we landed with our entire brand kit and uniform combinations. We wanted to start this new chapter with an identity that was uniquely ours while knowing how important it was to our fanbase to keep the connection with Cardinals Nation.”

The secondary logos include an all-new Springbird Feather S, Ozarks O-Bird, and Batbird. Three new jerseys will be in use for 2027: a home white, victory blue and alternate/road red will be in rotation for the Springbirds’ inaugural season. Three corresponding on-field hats will also be worn: red, victory blue, and navy blue. Additionally, Ozarks will have a batting practice hat featuring the O-Bird. The Springbirds will continue to have Louie and Fetch as their two mascots moving forward.

The name “Springbirds” has been the unofficial nickname of the team for the last two-plus decades, popularized by Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Broadcaster Ned Reynolds. Reynolds provided play-by-play for the club on local KY3 telecasts, from the inaugural game in 2005 until 2026. The “Springbirds” moniker has long been used by fans and media members alike in the 22 years of the Springfield Cardinals.

Starting Tuesday, the Springbirds can be found on all major social media platforms with the handle @ozkspringbirds. In November, the official website of the franchise will be springbirds.com. The main telephone number will not change: (417) 863-0395.

All new merchandise is available now online at milbshop.com and in-person at the Route 66 Stadium Springbirds Team Store, which has special hours this week: W-F, noon-5 p.m.

The team will begin playing under the Ozarks Springbirds moniker beginning on Friday, April 2, 2027, at Route 66 Stadium.

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