i9 Sports Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $60K – $70K
- Disclosed sales
- $514K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Limited · 22 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
i9 Sports is a youth-sports franchise running recreational leagues and camps in soccer, basketball, flag football, and more for kids. Franchisees run a program managing registration, coaches, scheduling, and venues in a protected territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A i9 Sports franchise requires a total initial investment of $60K – $70K, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.5% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $514K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored8 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $60K – $70K
- 16th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $514K
- 19th pct Education
- Royalty
- 7.5%
- 43rd pct Education
- Units
- 294
- 75th pct Education
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Education median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $60K – $70K including a $25K franchise fee, 7.5% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $514K/year (median $406K).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 95/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +30 franchised outlets in the latest year (36 opened, 6 closed) (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 20.0% CAGR over 3 years with 294 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- i9 Sports, LLC
- Parent company
- i9 Holdings, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 7 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Youth Enrichment Brands, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 7 of the 2026 FDD
- Predecessor
- began
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President
- Ron Shimek
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 9410 Camden Field Parkway, Riverview, Florida 33578
- Auditor
- RSM US LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $31.3M
- vs $32.0M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Independent Franchisee Association
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- U.S
- SafeSplash Brands
- School of Rock Franchising
- that offers franchises or products or services to franchisees
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 7
2 other brands on this site name Youth Enrichment Brands, LLC as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2026 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Ron Shimek
- Headquarters
- Florida
- Founded
- 2002
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 38
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 67% below the typical education franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25K | $25K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $8K | $13K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $27K | $32K |
| Total initial investment | $60K | $70K |
Source: i9 Sports 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $60K – $70K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $8K – $13K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.5%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 12.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.5% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% |
| Technology fee | $110 |
| Transfer fee | $12K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $3K – $4K |
| Total fee load | 12.5% of rev |
At 12.5% total fee load, roughly $64K per year goes to the franchisor before you pay a single operating expense.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 26% above the education norm.
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for i9 Sports until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$75K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one i9 Sports unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $514K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $406K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- historical
- Sample size
- 129 outlets
- vs category median 16 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $61K→$2.0MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 63 of the 2026 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $205K→$702K
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 10 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 204 Education brands
Revenue is 7.9x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $514K/year in gross sales. Median is $406K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 7.9x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 12.5% — above the Education median of 9.0%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 10/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 20.0% CAGR over 3 years across 294 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Education medians
How i9 Sports Compares
Category median of published Education brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 294
- Opened
- 36
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 6
- Terminated
- 6
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +20.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +20.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 6
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 17
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 38 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
38
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 22
- Loan volume
- $4.1M
- Median loan
- $110K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Limited · 22 loans
- Limited SBA coverage: 22 loans, rate hidden until 10 have resolved and loans reach 2% of franchised units
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Limited · 22 loans
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 12
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 6.9%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 15.8%
- n=7,965 loans
- Jobs supported
- 218
- 5.6 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 21%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 62% went to startups / new businesses, 38% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in fitness and recreational sports centers, franchised businesses charge off at 15.8% vs 18.2% for independents — franchising is associated with 13% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing i9 Sports franchisees
Showing 3 of 12 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for i9 Sports from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 76%
- Avg interest rate
- 6.88%
- Lender concentration
- 21.1%
- Job velocity
- 5.6 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 12.5%
- NAICS 713940
- Jobs supported
- 218
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 21% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 4 | $330K | 0.0% |
| 2 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | 3 | $275K | 0.0% |
| 3 | SouthState Bank, National Association | 2 | $1.5M | N/A |
| 4 | Valliance Bank | 2 | $283K | 0.0% |
| 5 | LendingClub Bank, National Association | 1 | $198K | N/A |
| 6 | Citizens Bank, National Association | 1 | $110K | 0.0% |
| 7 | First National Bank of Omaha | 1 | $217K | 0.0% |
| 8 | The Huntington National Bank | 1 | $529K | N/A |
| 9 | Community Trust Bank, Inc. | 1 | $150K | 0.0% |
| 10 | CDC Small Business Finance Corp. | 1 | $50K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAPennsylvania | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| TXTexas | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FLFlorida | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MDMaryland | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NCNorth Carolina | 2 | 0 | -- |
| AZArizona | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| CACalifornia | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| COColorado | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| GAGeorgia | 1 | 0 | -- |
| HIHawaii | 1 | 0 | -- |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
One active franchise-relationship suit (Valley Youth Sports/Finest City Youth Sports v. i9 Sports, LLC and YEB, filed 9/29/2025, alleging territory encroachment and inadequate insurance); plus four disclosed settlements involving affiliated GoTo Foods/Inspire Brands entities (no-poaching provisions, data breach, FDD disclosure omission) that the FDD states have no impact on i9 Sports or its brand.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · RSM US LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 95 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHLitigation involving parent company affiliates (Arby's, Dunkin') raises questions about corporate governance and legal exposure that could affect franchise operations
- 02MINORSlow unit growth of 7.8% YoY in a youth sports market suggests market saturation or operational challenges despite positive unit economics
- 03MINORHigh royalty floor ($425-$450/month minimum) creates fixed cost burden; franchisees earning below $5,400-$5,400 annually in network revenue operate at a loss
- 04MINORMinimum royalty structure incentivizes aggressive revenue extraction even from struggling locations, potentially masking system-wide underperformance
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 12.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 79,999 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 10 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 25 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 6 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Hillsborough County, Florida |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 5 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
One active franchise-relationship suit (Valley Youth Sports/Finest City Youth Sports v. i9 Sports, LLC and YEB, filed 9/29/2025, alleging territory encroachment and inadequate insurance); plus four disclosed settlements involving affiliated GoTo Foods/Inspire Brands entities (no-poaching provisions, data breach, FDD disclosure omission) that the FDD states have no impact on i9 Sports or its brand.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 35 hrs
- Training location
- i9 Sports Training Facility, Riverview, Florida (or virtual/franchisee's operating location)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 25 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Franchise Manager Software
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Franchise Manager Software
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
231 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a i9 Sports franchise?
The total investment to open a i9 Sports franchise ranges from $60K – $70K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do i9 Sports franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the i9 Sports FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $514K. The median is $406K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns i9 Sports?
i9 Sports is franchised by i9 Sports, LLC. Its parent company is i9 Holdings, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Youth Enrichment Brands, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the i9 Sports FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the i9 Sports FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is i9 Sports's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for i9 Sports (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many i9 Sports franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, i9 Sports has 294 total units in the United States, including 294 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 36 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is i9 Sports a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates i9 Sports as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 95 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.