South Carolina United FC

What South Carolina United FC does

South Carolina United FC (SCUFC) is a nonprofit 501c3 youth soccer organization headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, serving more than 5,000 players annually across the Midlands region. The club operates a vertically integrated player pathway spanning recreational soccer (ages 3-19), Junior Academy (8U-12U), Select (13U-19U), ECNL National and Regional teams, and pre-professional Bantams teams competing in the USL W League (women) and USL League Two (men's U23). Programs are delivered across five facilities, including Polo Road Park, Southeastern Freight Lines Soccer Center, Ballentine Park Complex, and SCUFC West Soccer Complex, with supporting services such as Sports Medicine (Prisma Health), Performance Training (Apex Athletic Performance), and SCUFC Classroom tutoring.

SCUFC's technology stack centers on the PlayMetrics registration and communications platform for self-serve enrollment and family communications, supplemented by Thorguard for lightning safety. Revenue is generated primarily through seasonal and annual program registration fees (recreational tiers ranging $70-$135, competitive evaluation fees $40-$60, Strikers after-school subscriptions $75/month), tournament entry fees (Carolina Cup, St. Patrick's Day Cup), uniform/kit sales on a two-year Puma cycle, College ID Combine registration, and fundraising events including an annual golf tournament. The club holds strategic affiliations with ECNL, USL, SCYSA, and the newly formed South Carolina Premier Alliance with CESA, and is governed by a Board of Directors with Executive Director Rob Strickland leading operations.

The go-to-market motion is community-led: player acquisition occurs through school-based Strikers Soccer programs at multiple elementary schools, word-of-mouth referrals, open tryouts and evaluation events, seasonal registration cycles, and tournament hosting that draws regional participation. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via PlayMetrics and facility-based delivery, with channel partnerships supporting downstream college recruiting exposure through College ID Combines connecting players with 40+ college programs.

Name

South Carolina United FC

Legal name

South Carolina United FC

Website

https://southcarolinaunitedfc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

South Carolina United FC is a nonprofit youth soccer club in Columbia, SC serving 5,000+ players annually through a full pathway from recreational to pre-professional levels across multiple facilities in the Midlands region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Soccer Club Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE), Sport-Specific Amateur Leagues & Circuits (Non-Professional) (MPAKACAJ)

Keywords

• Youth soccer programs
• Soccer training
• Athletic development
• Soccer club
• Recreational sports

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Recreational Soccer Registration: Seasonal registration fees for youth recreational soccer program serving players ages 3-19 at Polo Road Park and Ballentine Park complexes. Registration opens seasonally with Fall and Spring seasons.
2. Competitive Program Registration: Annual registration fees for competitive programs including Junior Academy (8U-12U), Select (13U-19U), and ECNL teams. Includes evaluation/tryout fees.
3. Strikers After-School Program: Monthly subscription fees for after-school soccer program at elementary schools, includes registration fee
4. Tournament Registration: Fees for Carolina Cup and St. Patrick's Day Cup tournaments attracting teams from throughout the Southeast
5. College ID Combines: Registration fees for college recruiting combine events connecting players with college coaches
6. Uniform Sales: Uniform kit sales including 2-year cycle kits, with new players required to purchase
7. Golf Tournament Fundraising: Annual golf tournament generating scholarship funds for children unable to afford club soccer costs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

South Carolina United FC is a nonprofit youth soccer club offering tiered soccer programming from introductory recreational leagues (ages 3-19) through competitive travel programs (Junior Academy, Select, ECNL) to pre-professional teams in USL W League and USL League Two. The club operates five facility locations in the Columbia, SC metropolitan area, serving more than 5,000 players annually with supplemental services including sports medicine, athletic performance training, college recruiting support, and tournaments.

Product overview

South Carolina United FC operates as a multi-tiered youth soccer club with a unified platform-plus-pathway architecture. The core platform encompasses Recreational Soccer (entry point for ages 3-18) feeding into Competitive Programs including Junior Academy (8U-12U), Select, and ECNL (the premier national-level tier). The Bantams program represents the pre-professional pinnacle through USL W League (women's) and USL League Two (men's U23). Supporting modules include SC United Strikers (after-school K-6), Training Corps (camps and training), SCUFC Classroom (tutoring), Soccer Parent Resource Center (parent education), College Recruiting Services with College ID Combines, Sports Med Services (Prisma Health partnership), and Performance Training (Apex Athletic Performance). The club serves over 5,000 players annually across five facilities, competing in ECNL, ECNL Regional League, USL Academy, USL League Two, and USL W League.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SC United Bantams: Pre-professional soccer program including USL W League (women) and USL League Two (men) teams for players ages 18-23.
• SC United Strikers
• SCUFC Classroom

Products and services

• Recreational Soccer Program Entry-level seasonal soccer program for children ages 3-18, teaching team play, individual skill development, and sportsmanship at Polo Road Park and Ballentine Park complexes.
• Junior Academy Competitive program for 8U to 12U players featuring professionally licensed coaches, age-specific curriculum, and participation in PUMA United Development League and SCYSA leagues.
• Select Competitive Program Competitive soccer for highest skilled players in U13-U19 age groups, with multiple teams fielded per age group for both boys and girls.
• ECNL Program Elite Clubs National League membership featuring National and Regional teams competing in the Southeast Conference against teams from South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee.
• Bantams (USL W League) Pre-professional women's soccer team competing in USL W League, developing players between college and professional careers.
• Bantams (USL League Two) Under-23 men's pre-professional team competing in USL League Two, the leading development platform for professional soccer in North America.
• SC United Strikers (After-School Soccer) After-school soccer program for grades K-6 teaching soccer fundamentals alongside social, emotional, and life skills, operated at partner elementary schools.
• Tournament Services Hosting of youth soccer tournaments including the Carolina Cup and St. Patrick's Day Cup at SCUFC complexes.
• Girls College ID Combine Annual identification event connecting female soccer players with college coaches from over 35 universities for recruitment exposure.
• Boys College ID Combine Annual identification event connecting male soccer players with college coaches for recruitment exposure and college recruiting opportunities.
• Training Corps Training program including summer camps, winter camps, weekly in-season training sessions, and the 7v7 Summer Showdown tournament.
• Performance Training Speed and strength program provided by Apex Athletic Performance featuring age-appropriate athletic development, including Foundation, Intermediate, and Elite courses for U12-U19 players.
• Sports Medicine Services Athletic training services provided by Prisma Health, including on-site athletic training, virtual care, and orthopedic urgent care referrals.
• College Recruiting Services Guidance program helping players and parents navigate the college soccer recruiting process, including NCAA eligibility information and recruiting materials.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and supporting.

• South Carolina Youth Soccer Association (SCYSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026State governing body for youth soccer. SCYSA sanctions the South Carolina Premier Alliance and provides framework for recreational and competitive programming.
• Carolina Elite Soccer Academy (CESA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Leading South Carolina soccer club. Partner with SCYSA and SCUFC in the South Carolina Premier Alliance creating unified statewide platform for competitive teams.
• National 1 LeaguestrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026National league providing pathway for SC Premier Alliance teams. Top performing SCPA teams qualify for ECNL Conference League Playoffs.
• USL W LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022Pre-professional women's soccer league creating national platform for player development between college and professional ranks. SC United Bantams compete in this league as part of their developmental pathway.
• USL League TwocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022Pre-professional men's soccer league and leading development platform in North America. SC United Bantams U23 team competes in this league.
• Elite Clubs National League (ECNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMost competitive youth soccer program in the country with over 203 member clubs. SCUFC ECNL National and Regional teams compete in the Southeast Conference.
• Apex Athletic Performance (Prisma Health)coreTechnology or IntegrationSports performance partner providing data-driven, exercise science-backed training to enhance speed, agility, power, strength, and soccer performance. Collaborates with Director of Player Performance on holistic development model.
• Prisma HealthcoreTechnology or IntegrationHealthcare partner providing athletic training services and sports medicine coverage at SCUFC facilities. Offers athletic virtual care and specialized orthopedic urgent care services.
• Soccer Parenting AssociationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerClub-wide membership providing free access to SoccerParentResourceCenter.com, offering parent education content, webinars, articles, and community resources for youth soccer families.
• PumasupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial uniform and equipment sponsor. Puma King Club logo displayed on club materials.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Charlotte Soccer Club: Large multi-program youth soccer club serving the Charlotte metro, competing in ECNL and USL League Two with a similar age 3-19 pathway. A close direct peer given geographic and competitive overlap in the Carolinas.
• Carolina Elite Soccer Academy (CESA): Premier South Carolina youth soccer club and SCUFC's strategic partner within the South Carolina Premier Alliance. Operates competing competitive programs across multiple South Carolina locations.
• NCFC Youth (North Carolina FC Youth): North Carolina-based youth soccer club affiliated with North Carolina FC, operating multi-tiered programming including ECNL and pre-professional pathways analogous to SCUFC's Bantams.

Regional players

• Concorde Fire Soccer Club: Major Southeast-based youth soccer club based in Atlanta, Georgia, with large player base and ECNL membership. Comparable in scale and ECNL status to SCUFC but operating primarily in a different metro.
• Southern Soccer Academy: Multi-location youth soccer organization in Georgia offering full player development pathways. Comparable in structure and program breadth, although primarily serving the Atlanta area rather than the Carolinas.

Broad incumbents

• Charlotte FC Academy: Professional MLS academy operated by Charlotte FC. Competes with SCUFC ECNL teams for elite players in the Carolinas and represents a broader incumbent with stronger financial backing.
• Atlanta United FC Academy: MLS NEXT-affiliated professional academy that competes for top regional talent. A relevant incumbent that elevates the competitive bar for elite clubs like SCUFC in the Southeast.

Emerging players

• St. Louis Scott Gallagher (SLSG): Large multi-program youth soccer club with ECNL and pre-professional footprint. Comparable pathway structure to SCUFC Bantams, including pre-professional men's ECNL platform where Bantams coach Mac Thomalla was previously Head Coach.
• Players Development Academy (PDA): Notable East Coast youth soccer organization with strong ECNL presence and a reputation for elite player outcomes. Comparable tier as a competing elite-development club rather than a direct geographic rival.
• Solar Soccer Club: Major Texas-based youth soccer club operating ECNL and pre-professional teams. Notable as a similarly structured multi-tier youth club but a non-overlapping geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SCUnited_FC
• Facebookfacebook.com/SCUFC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Carolina United FC