USL franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening an USL franchise takes $31,486,450 – $39,761,944 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is not disclosed in the filings we cover. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated. The ledger below itemizes every figure we can source for USL, each one dated, so you can check the numbers before anyone gets your contact details.
USL franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $31,486,450 | $39,761,944 | $31,486,450 to $39,761,944 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $31,486,450 | $39,761,944 | $31,486,450 to $39,761,944 | |
- 1 "Not disclosed" means USL's filings do not state this figure. We publish the gap instead of estimating it.
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 20 years |
See the full USL cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How USL's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where USL's disclosed cost sits against the Sports & Recreation category:
- Minimum startup cost of $31,486,450 — about 130× the Sports & Recreation median of $242,259.
Category medians are computed from the Sports & Recreation brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Sports & Recreation franchises
Free info kit — costs, fees, and unit track record. You choose who may follow up.
Figures look outdated? Report outdated info.
How USL's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2022: began the window at 104 units; 69 units opened, 73 closed, ending at 24 units. (partial records: 2018, 2019 are not in the source data — totals span the reported years only.)
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for USL or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask USL for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether USL is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether USL grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only USL can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the USL franchise
USL is a sports & recreation franchisor with 24 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2022, it began the window at 104 units; its filings record 69 unit openings and 73 closures, ending at 24 units (partial records: 2018, 2019 are not in the source data — totals span the reported years only). Its parent company is United Soccer Leagues, LLC.
Disclosure filings report 3 franchise-related lawsuits. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
You will operate a team in the men’s professional soccer league known as the "USL Championship" (f/k/a the "United Soccer League" or "USL") under a Franchise Agreement with us.
USL franchise: quick answers
- How much does an USL franchise cost?
- $31,486,450 – $39,761,944 all-in to open, per USL's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many USL units are there?
- 24 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have USL's units held up?
- 61.5% of units at risk between 2020 and 2022 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).