Portland Hearts of Pine

What Portland Hearts of Pine does

Portland Hearts of Pine is a privately held professional soccer club headquartered in Portland, Maine, operating as the state's only professional soccer organization. The club fields a men's first team in USL League One, with home matches played at Fitzpatrick Stadium (156 Deering Avenue), and is in the process of establishing a pre-professional women's team in the USL W League, a plan approved by the Portland City Council in June 2026. Founded by Gabe Hoffman-Johnson and led by Club President Kevin Schohl and Head Coach & Sporting Director Bobby Murphy (formerly of St. Louis City 2), the club combines sporting operations with a community foundation (Hearts of Pine Foundation) and the Portland Soccer Project youth initiative.

The business is built on a community-led, event-driven go-to-market model anchored by direct-to-consumer ticketing through an owned platform (tickets.heartsofpine.com) powered by SportsEngine SRM, a flagship Club Shop at 127 Marginal Way in Portland's Bayside neighborhood (nearly triple the size of the original Hanover Street store), and a slate of community events such as the Maine Soccer Summer series presented by Bank of America. Customer segments are the Maine soccer community (primary, geography-based) and youth players ages 10-14 (persona-based), the latter served through the first Hearts of Pine Soccer Camp scheduled for August 10-14, 2026, at $230 per participant.

Revenue mechanics span four streams: ticket sales (single-match, season ticket memberships, group tickets, premium seating at Fitzpatrick Stadium), merchandise and retail (jerseys, hats, accessories, locally-made artisan goods), sponsorships and partnerships (anchored by Bank of America as presenting partner), and youth programming (camp registration fees). Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer in the United States via owned digital channels and the physical Club Shop, with the supporter group Dirigo Union providing matchday atmosphere (tifo, supporter songs, Maine Wooden Buoys Man of the Match). Ownership structure and external investment are not publicly disclosed, and no funding rounds, parent entities, or AI/technology capabilities beyond standard league infrastructure are reported in available data.

Name

Portland Hearts of Pine

Legal name

Portland Hearts of Pine

Website

https://heartsofpine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Portland Hearts of Pine is a privately held professional soccer club and Maine's only professional soccer organization, fielding a men's team in USL League One at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, Maine, and establishing a women's team for USL W League, with revenue from tickets, merchandise, sponsorships, and youth programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Soccer Club

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (7112), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Travel & Services Membership Clubs (Ancillary Services-Led) (CRAEADAK), Sports, Concert & Venue Gift Shops (CRALAJAH)

Keywords

• Professional soccer club
• USL League One
• Soccer matchday tickets
• Youth soccer camps
• Soccer merchandise retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from single-match tickets, season ticket memberships, group tickets, and premium seating experiences at Fitzpatrick Stadium
2. Merchandise and Retail: E-commerce sales of jerseys, hats, accessories through the Club Shop at 127 Marginal Way and online store
3. Sponsorship and Partnerships: Corporate partnerships with sponsors like Bank of America; presented partner for Maine Soccer Summer series
4. Youth Soccer Camps: Registration fees from soccer camps targeting youth players ages 10-14, including player appearances and team training access

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Portland Hearts of Pine operates a USL League One men's professional soccer team playing home matches at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, Maine, supplemented by a youth soccer camp (boys and girls ages 10-14), a flagship club retail shop selling merchandise and locally-made goods, and community engagement initiatives including the Snowbird Derby friendly series against Sarasota Paradise. Revenue is generated through matchday ticketing, merchandise sales, corporate sponsorships, and youth program registration fees.

Product overview

Portland Hearts of Pine is Maine's only professional soccer club, operating as a unified club with a men's team in USL League One and a planned women's team for USL W League. The club's core offering is professional soccer competition at Fitzpatrick Stadium, supplemented by youth programming (Hearts of Pine Soccer Camp), retail operations (Club Shop), and community engagement initiatives (Maine Soccer Summer series, Portland Soccer Project). The club generates revenue through matchday tickets, merchandise, sponsorships, and community events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hearts of Pine Foundation: The club's community foundation focused on local soccer development and community initiatives including the Portland Soccer Project.

Products and services

• Portland Hearts of Pine Men's Professional Soccer Team (USL League One) Professional men's soccer club competing in USL League One, playing home matches at Fitzpatrick Stadium (156 Deering Avenue, Portland, Maine). Available to fans via single-match tickets, season ticket memberships, group tickets, and premium seating experiences purchased through the owned ticketing platform at tickets.heartsofpine.com.
• Hearts of Pine Soccer Camp Paid five-day youth soccer camp for boys and girls ages 10-14, providing four days of on-field programming, player appearances, team training access, and an official camp t-shirt. Includes a special Friday session at Fitzpatrick Stadium. Registration fee: $230 per participant.
• Hearts of Pine Club Shop Flagship retail store at 127 Marginal Way in Portland's Bayside neighborhood selling Hearts of Pine jerseys, hats, accessories, and locally-made goods from Maine artisans including Benoit's Design Co., Good Stock, Maine Wooden Buoys, and YAY! Glass Studio. Available in-person and through the online store at shop.heartsofpine.com.
• Snowbird Derby Friendly Series Pre-season home-and-home friendly match series against Sarasota Paradise, designed to engage fans who split time seasonally between Maine and Florida. Matches are ticketed events at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,307 attendance at May 16, 2026 match vs Rhode Island FC (record)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bank of AmericacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 June 2026Bank of America partnership announced June 2026, presenting sponsor of the Maine Soccer Summer series. Supporting free community events including Monument Square watch parties and Footy Fest at Kennedy Park. Partnership reflects shared belief that soccer can be a gathering point for communities.
• Log Jam VintageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaine-based vintage store in Bangor owned by Jeremy Richardson, collaborated on Club Shop design and custom wood fixtures sourced from around the state
• Erica SedlerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaine artist and muralist commissioned to create 16-foot tifo-style banner inside the Club Shop, blending Maine landscapes with Hearts iconography
• Benoit's Design Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-owned shop in Westbrook producing nostalgic pennants and flags from natural materials for Club Shop merchandise
• Good StockminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPop-up style jewelry store and charm bar that partnered with Hearts since inaugural season, featured in Club Shop
• Maine Wooden BuoysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWife and husband team based in Friendship producing hand-painted buoys; Dirigo Union awards these as Man of the Match awards to Hearts players
• YAY! Glass StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeth Hamilton's studio in North Yarmouth creating fused glass hearts in signature Hearts red; donates a heart to Maine Needs Pocket Hearts Project for each one sold
• Sea LoveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiddeford-based company producing custom Woods + Water scented candle for Hearts of Pine Club Shop
• Allagash Brewing Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMaine brewery venue hosting town hall for women's team planning input gathering
• Après cocktail barminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPortland venue hosting town hall for women's team planning community input

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Detroit City FC: USL Championship club widely regarded as the gold standard for community-anchored lower-division soccer in the U.S. Hearts of Pine's culture-led, community-built model is structurally similar to Detroit's approach, making it the key comparable for sponsorship and supporter-cultivation economics.
• Louisville City FC: Most commercially established USL Championship club and operator of a women's team (Racing Louisville in NWSL). Represents the upper bound of the growth trajectory Hearts of Pine could pursue through promotion, women's team infrastructure, and franchise valuation scaling.

Direct peers

• Charlotte Independence: Direct USL League One opponent and one of the league's established clubs. Operates in a comparable mid-market ecosystem with similar matchday and sponsorship revenue mix, though with deeper historical brand presence.
• Chattanooga Red Wolves SC: Direct USL League One competitor in a mid-sized Southern market. Both clubs operate in tertiary markets with similar stadium economics (sub-7,000 capacity venues) and rely on ticket + sponsorship + merchandise revenue mix.
• Greenville Triumph SC: USL League One peer that Hearts of Pine already drew 6,292 against in May 2026. Both compete in the same third-division USL structure, play in mid-sized markets, and operate community-driven business models around regional identity.
• Forward Madison FC: Long-running USL League One club (since 2019) known for community-led brand identity and strong supporter culture - the closest analog to Hearts of Pine's culture/community positioning. Both compete in non-MLS cities with distinct regional identities.
• FC Naples: One of the newest USL League One expansion teams (2025) whose growth trajectory most closely mirrors Hearts of Pine's. Both are second-year clubs building brand identity in regional markets and recently drew 6,033 at Fitzpatrick Stadium in April 2026.
• One Knox SC: USL League One peer based in Knoxville, TN operating in a similar mid-sized market with comparable community-driven positioning. Both clubs emphasize regional identity and youth development pipelines.

Emerging players

• Oakland Roots SC: USL Championship club built on an explicitly mission-driven, community-activist brand identity. Shares Hearts of Pine's emphasis on purpose-driven culture and local artisans/identity, though operates at a higher competitive tier in a larger market.

Regional players

• Rhode Island FC: New England-region USL Championship club that hosted Hearts of Pine in the New England Cup (May 2026). Operates in the same broader Northeast soccer market with overlapping sponsor and media territory competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/hearts_sc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLypNBGTioIReedRsBWFmiHNFmUI89JZdW
• Facebookfacebook.com/PortlandHeartsofPine
• Instagraminstagram.com/hearts_sc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heartsofpine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Portland Hearts of Pine