USL League One franchise
2023 filing · February 15, 2023
USL League One at a glance
A men's professional soccer club in USL League One. At the end of 2022 there were 12 USL League One locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- USL PRO-2, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $7.68M–$11.4M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $5,000,000
- A one-time expansion fee
- Royalty
- $115,000/season
- A yearly participation fee of up to $115,000 a season, which can rise by up to 15% a year
- Brand fund
- None now
- No brand fund
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 12
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 12
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 1 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
- States
- 10
- Most in North Carolina, Tennessee and California
From USL PRO-2, LLC’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
USL League One among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | USL League One | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $9,550,650 | Costs more than 98% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $5,000,000 | Higher than 100% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 12 | Fewer than 58% of franchises |
How much a USL League One franchise costs
Opening one USL League One costs an estimated $7,682,700 to $11,418,600. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are expansion fee ($5,000,000) and stadium and field improvements ($500,000 to $1,500,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expansion Fee | $5,000,000 | ||
| Participation Fee | $100,000 | $115,000 | |
| Letter of Credit | $12,500 | $250,000 | |
| Stadium Lease | $25,000 | $150,000 | |
| Stadium and Field Improvements | $500,000 | $1,500,000 | |
| Practice Field Rental | $0 | $20,000 | |
| Office Lease | $50,000 | $100,000 | |
| Office Expenses | $25,000 | $75,000 | |
| Soccer Equipment/Field Related Supplies | $25,000 | $50,000 | |
| Player Wages | $250,000 | $300,000 | |
| Player Housing | $25,000 | $75,000 | |
| Front Office Staff | $400,000 | $700,000 | |
| Coaching Staff | $170,000 | $250,000 | |
| Worker's Compensation Insurance | $50,000 | $90,000 | |
| Benefits | $85,500 | $285,000 | |
| Referees | $75,000 | $125,000 | |
| Home Game Costs (Operations) | $100,000 | $250,000 | |
| Away Game Costs | $175,000 | $300,000 | |
| Marketing/Sales Costs | $150,000 | $300,000 | |
| Uniforms and Supplies | $20,000 | $35,000 | |
| USSF Membership Fee | $3,000 | $9,000 | |
| USSF Player Registration Fee | $1,000 | $2,000 | |
| U.S. Open Cup Application Fee | $600 | $1,000 | |
| Insurance | $10,000 | $15,000 | |
| Travel Pool - Playoffs | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Reporting Costs | $1,500 | $3,000 | |
| BMI / ASCAP Costs | $0 | $1,000 | |
| Local Broadcast Production Costs | $100,000 | $200,000 | |
| Broadcast Transmission and Archival | $25,000 | ||
| Attendance at AGM and Training | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Team Name and Trademark Design and Registration | $5,000 | $30,000 | |
| Signage System | $10,000 | $50,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $10,000 | $25,000 | |
| Initial Merchandise Inventory | $5,000 | $50,000 | |
| Website Design and Setup | $6,000 | ||
| Website Hosting and Maintenance | $1,600 | ||
| Dues and Subscriptions | $10,000 | $15,000 | |
| Additional Funds for the First Year | $250,000 | $1,000,000 | |
| Total | $7,682,700 | $11,418,600 | |
Source: USL PRO-2, LLC, 2023 filing, page 18
USL League One franchise fee
The franchise fee is $5,000,000, a one-time expansion fee. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: USL PRO-2, LLC, 2023 filing, page 13
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | A yearly participation fee of up to $115,000 a season, which can rise by up to 15% a year. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | No brand fund |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: USL PRO-2, LLC, 2023 filing, pages 14 and 31
Sales and earnings
No figures USL League One does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: USL PRO-2, LLC, 2023 filing, page 48
How USL League One compares
Of the 120 sports franchises on this site, USL League One is the 119th cheapest to open and the 62nd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | USL League One | Typical sports brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $7.68M | $227K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $11.4M | $442K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $5M | $50K | $40K |
| US locations | 12 | 15 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 9.1% | 2.6% | – |
| Change in franchised locations, 1 yrs | 0% | +38.5% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 77 of 120 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 120 brands in sports franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 12 (0) | 0 | – | – |
| 2021 | 11 (−1) | 0 | – | – |
| 2022 | 12 (+1) | 0 | +2 | −1 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: USL PRO-2, LLC, 2023 filing, page 49
Where USL League One locations are
At the end of 2022, USL League One had franchised locations in 10 states. The most are in North Carolina, Tennessee and California.
- North Carolina2
- Tennessee2
- California1
- Colorado1
- Georgia1
- Kentucky1
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | 2 |
| Tennessee | 2 |
| California | 1 |
| Colorado | 1 |
| Georgia | 1 |
| Kentucky | 1 |
| Nebraska | 1 |
| South Carolina | 1 |
| Virginia | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 1 |
Source: USL PRO-2, LLC, 2023 filing, page 51
Who owns USL League One?
USL League One franchises are sold by USL PRO-2, LLC.
From USL PRO-2, LLC’s 2023 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 11. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: USL PRO-2, LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 12
USL League One filings
The figures on this page come from USL PRO-2, LLC’s 2023 filing, issued February 15, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | February 15, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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USL League One is also on these lists: entertainment franchises.