USL League One Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $7.7M – $11.4M
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
USL League One is a professional soccer franchise where owners field teams in the U.S. third-division league. Franchisees run the clubs, managing rosters, stadium operations, ticketing, and sponsorships.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A USL League One franchise requires a total initial investment of $7.7M – $11.4M, including a $5.0M franchise fee and an ongoing 15.0% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: high - issued more than two years ago
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 scored2 of 4 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $7.7M – $11.4M
- 54th pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 15.0%
- 51st pct Recreation & …
- Units
- 12
- 28th pct Recreation & …
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Recreation & Entertainment 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 $7.7M – $11.4M including a $5.0M franchise fee, 15.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 50/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +1 franchised outlets in the latest year (2 opened, 1 closed) (Item 20).
- DATAThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- USL Pro-2, LLC
- Parent company
- United Soccer Leagues, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 7 of the 2023 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- NuRock Soccer Holdings LLC (majority owner of United Soccer Leagues, LLC)
- FDD Item 1, page 7 of the 2023 FDD
- Predecessor
- USISL, Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Alec Papadakis
- Incorporated in
- Florida
- HQ
- 1715 N. Westshore Blvd. Suite 825, Tampa, Florida 33607
- Auditor
- Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $29.5M
- vs $22.7M prior year
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 7
1 other brand on this site name NuRock Soccer Holdings LLC (majority owner of United Soccer Leagues, LLC) as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2023 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
- Alec Papadakis
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 1996
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 10
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 1607% above the typical recreation & entertainment franchise.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2023 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $5.0M | $5.0M |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $250K | $1.0M |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $2.4M | $5.4M |
| Total initial investment | $7.7M | $11.4M |
Source: USL League One 2023 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
- $7.7M – $11.4M
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $250K – $1.0M
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $5.0M – $5.0M
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 15.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- No advertising fund maintained; franchisor does not requi…
- Total fee load
- 15.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 15.0% |
| Transfer fee | $500K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $50K |
| Total fee load | 15.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
USL League One makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one USL League One 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 annual revenue, ad fund rate, 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.
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: 2023 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 15.0% — above the Recreation & Entertainment median of 8.0%.
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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 Recreation & Entertainment medians
How USL League One Compares
Category median of published Recreation & Entertainment 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 2023 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 12
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 8.3%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 8.3%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 8 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
9 current owners across 8 states.
- NC 2
- GA 1
- HI 1
- KY 1
- SC 1
- TN 1
- VA 1
- WI 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
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
Parent-level financials are strong (net worth $10.8M, net income $2.36M on $29.5M revenue) with a stable 12-unit system. Three related employment-discrimination suits/EEOC charges by one plaintiff (Ricky Hill) target affiliate clubs, with USL disclaiming hiring authority. No Item 19 disclosure is a secondary concern.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Three discrimination cases filed against USL by Ricky Hill: (1) Case 1:21-CV-06278 (N.D. Ill.) - alleging discrimination in hiring for Saint Louis FC head coaching position, served January 10, 2022; (2) Case 1:22-cv-02961 (N.D. Ill.) - alleging discrimination in hiring across multiple USL Championship and MLS clubs, served July 26, 2022, Motion to Dismiss pending; (3) EEOC charge regarding Las Vegas Lights head coaching position, filed November 16, 2021, terminated by EEOC on March 7, 2022. USL denies all allegations and contends it does not make hiring/firing decisions for individual clubs.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Parent company (United Soccer Leagues, LLC) total revenue for fiscal year 2022, per audited financial statements; revenue from required purchases was $423,359 (approx. 1.4% of total revenue).
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 50 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOR3 related employment-discrimination matters (single plaintiff, affiliate clubs)
- 02MINORParent-level financials, healthy: $2.36M net income on $29.5M revenue
- 03MINORNo Item 19 disclosure
- 04MINORNo bankruptcy/going-concern; audited
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 15.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2023 · 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 | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory sizeℹ | Geographic area |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 5 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Tampa, Florida |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 3 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Three discrimination cases filed against USL by Ricky Hill: (1) Case 1:21-CV-06278 (N.D. Ill.) - alleging discrimination in hiring for Saint Louis FC head coaching position, served January 10, 2022; (2) Case 1:22-cv-02961 (N.D. Ill.) - alleging discrimination in hiring across multiple USL Championship and MLS clubs, served July 26, 2022, Motion to Dismiss pending; (3) EEOC charge regarding Las Vegas Lights head coaching position, filed November 16, 2021, terminated by EEOC on March 7, 2022. USL denies all allegations and contends it does not make hiring/firing decisions for individual clubs.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- Franchisor and franchisee mutually agree on territory; franchisee selects and franchisor must approve the stadium
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
9 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 USL League One franchise?
The total investment to open a USL League One franchise ranges from $7.7M – $11.4M, with an initial franchise fee of $5.0M. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do USL League One franchise owners earn?
USL League One makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns USL League One?
USL League One is franchised by USL Pro-2, LLC. Its parent company is United Soccer Leagues, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is NuRock Soccer Holdings LLC (majority owner of United Soccer Leagues, LLC). Source: FDD Item 1, 2023 filing.
What is Item 19 in the USL League One 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 USL League One FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is USL League One's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for USL League One (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 USL League One franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, USL League One has 12 total units in the United States, including 12 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is USL League One a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates USL League One as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 50 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.