USL League OneFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A USL League One franchise requires a total initial investment of $7.7M – $11.4M, including a $5.0M franchise fee. The 2023 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $7.7M – $11.4M
- 43rd pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 23rd pct Recreation & …
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 12
- 23rd pct Recreation & …
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Recreation & Entertainment avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Franchising since 1996. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Bottom line
- Total investment $7.7M – $11.4M including a $5.0M franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 79/100.
- No Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- USL Pro-2, LLC
- Parent company
- United Soccer Leagues, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- NuRock Soccer Holdings LLC
- CEO title
- Director and Chief Executive Officer
- Alec Papadakis
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 1715 N. Westshore Blvd., Suite 825, Tampa, Florida 33607
- Auditor
- Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $22.7M
- vs $29.5M prior year
Overview
About
USL League One franchisees own and operate professional soccer teams competing in the third tier of the U.S. Soccer pyramid. Day-to-day operations include stadium management, player recruitment and payroll, marketing and ticket sales, community engagement, and broadcast/streaming coordination. Franchisees manage P&L, sponsor relations, and compete in a 34-match regular season with playoff tournaments.
- CEO
- Alec Papadakis
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 1996
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 10
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
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $250K – $1.0M
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $5.0M – $5.0M
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- Up to $115,000 (if starting in 2024), subject to a maximu…
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 15.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer fee | $500K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 15.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Recreation & Entertainment averages
How USL League One Compares
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
- Net growth (yr3)
- +9.1%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- 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.
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.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
A structurally weak franchise system with unresolved going concern issues, ongoing litigation, zero financial transparency, and a $7.7M–$11.4M investment into a 12-unit, slow-growing league with questionable profitability.
Litigation (Item 3)
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)
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 79 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHGoing Concern = False indicates serious financial/operational viability questions at corporate level
- 02MEDNo Item 19 (Average Unit Volume) disclosed — inability or unwillingness to share revenue/profitability data is a major red flag
- 03HIGHActive litigation (employment and discrimination lawsuits) suggests governance, culture, and legal liability issues within the league
- 04MINORHigh franchise fee ($5M) combined with slow unit growth (9.1% YoY to only 12 total units) indicates weak market demand and franchisee struggles
- 05MINORRoyalty structure capped at $115K annual with 15% escalation clause creates unpredictable cost burden; combined fee + royalty may exceed ROI capacity
- 06MINORSmall system size (12 units) limits brand leverage, supplier economies, and marketing scale
- 07MEDProfessional soccer in North America has historically faced sustainability issues; USL League One is a second-tier league with limited media revenue potential
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Geographic area |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| 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
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
FDD download
USL League One · FDD (2023) PDF
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 does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
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 F-grade franchise with a risk score of 79 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. 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.