Middle School Matchup Sports Franchising

What Middle School Matchup Sports Franchising does

Middle School Matchup Sports Franchising (MSM), a private Texas LLC headquartered in Frisco, operates a portfolio of weekend youth sports tournaments designed for middle school athletes (6th-8th grade) who lack formal school-based sports teams. The company's core product is a tournament format in which individual players register online and are algorithmically assigned to teams based on their middle school affiliation, regardless of skill level, with team spots allocated by registration timestamp when schools oversubscribe. Tournaments are branded per sport (baseball, softball, 7v7 football, soccer, golf) and per location, with players receiving custom school-colored jerseys and tiered apparel packages. The company's technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a registration system built on Formstack forms, a custom jersey manufacturing capability, and a regional website architecture for each franchise territory. Sponsorship integrations from brands like Texas Children's Hospital, Scottish Rite for Children, Raising Cane's, Academy Sports, and OTW Bats provide credibility and additional revenue.

MSM operates a franchise model for geographic expansion, with local Tourney Directors managing events in 15+ markets across at least 10 U.S. states (including Texas, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, California, Missouri, Colorado, and Maryland/DMV). Revenue is generated primarily through tiered player registration fees ranging from $90 to $225 per package, supplemented by sponsorship revenue and franchise fees paid by local operators. The customer base is highly distributed across middle school athletes and their parents, with 50,000+ cumulative players, 237 participating schools, 97-140+ cities, and a 98% player return rate. Marketing is driven primarily by word-of-mouth, organic social media (Facebook, Instagram with regional accounts), and a VIP list email system that creates early-access registration urgency. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, M&A activity, or acquisitions.

Name

Middle School Matchup Sports Franchising

Legal name

Middle School Matchup Sports LLC

Website

https://middleschoolmatchup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Middle School Matchup Sports Franchising (MSM) organizes weekend youth sports tournaments (baseball, softball, 7v7 football, soccer, golf) for middle school athletes, forming teams by school affiliation. The Frisco, Texas-based company operates through a franchise model across 15+ U.S. markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports Tournament Services

NAICS

Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Junior Tournament Organizers (MPAKADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Youth sports tournaments
• Middle school athletics
• Sports franchise operations
• Tournament event management
• School-based team formation

Headquarters

HQ city

Frisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tournament Registration Fees: Primary revenue from player registration fees for weekend tournaments. Players purchase tiered packages that include tournament entry plus gear (jerseys, hoodies, windbreakers, t-shirts). Pricing varies by package level from $90-$225 depending on sport and package tier.
2. Sponsorship Revenue: Local and regional business sponsors pay to showcase their brand at tournaments, reaching players, parents, coaches, and umpires. Multiple sponsorship tiers available to fit different budgets.
3. Franchise Fees: Expanding through franchise model where local operators pay for rights to run MSM tournaments in their markets. Contact at [email protected] for franchise opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Middle School Matchup Sports Franchising organizes weekend youth sports tournaments in which individual middle school players register and are assigned to teams formed by their school affiliation. Tournaments are offered across baseball, softball, 7v7 football, soccer, golf, and rising freshman formats in 15+ U.S. markets, with tiered registration packages ($90–$225) bundling tournament entry and custom school-colored apparel. The company expands geographically through a franchise model in which local Tourney Directors run events under the MSM brand.

Product overview

Middle School Matchup Sports Franchising operates a portfolio of youth sports tournaments primarily focused on middle school students (6th-8th grade) who do not have formal school athletics. The core offering is a unique tournament format where players register individually and are placed on teams organized by their middle school, regardless of skill level. The portfolio includes baseball, softball, 7v7 football, soccer, and golf championships across 15+ franchise locations nationwide. The company also offers gear packages as add-on purchases with each tournament registration, featuring school-colored custom jerseys, performance apparel, and tournament merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MSM Summer Smash: 2-day summer tournament series for middle school baseball players
• MSM Freshman Tournament
• MSM 7v7 Football

Products and services

• Middle School Matchup Baseball Championships Weekend tournament for middle school baseball players where individual players register and are assigned to teams organized by their middle school, allowing them to play with classmates in a fun, competitive environment with custom school-colored jerseys.
• Middle School Matchup Softball Championships Softball tournament mirroring the baseball format, allowing middle school softball players to compete with school teammates in custom school-colored apparel.
• Middle School Matchup 7v7 Football Non-contact, pass-only 7-on-7 football tournament in a fast-paced format for middle school students representing their schools.
• Middle School Matchup Soccer Championships Small-team format soccer tournament with pool play and elimination games for middle school players representing their schools.
• Middle School Matchup Golf Championships 2-player scramble format golf tournament allowing middle school students to compete with classmates at local golf courses.
• MSM Rising Freshman Tournament Tournament for incoming high school freshmen (Class of 2030 and similar cohorts) to play together before starting high school, offered in baseball format across multiple markets including Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston.
• Location-Specific Tournament Franchises Licensed localized tournaments operating in cities including Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, DFW West, Houston, Las Vegas, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, New York, Orlando, San Antonio, South Florida, South Jersey, Tampa, and Kansas City, each run by a local franchise operator or Tourney Director.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% player return rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Scottish Rite for ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScottish Rite for Children serves as official sports medicine partner for multiple MSM events, particularly in Dallas and DFW West locations. They provide health and safety resources including hydration tips, nutrition guidance, and sports medicine information for young athletes.
• OTW BatsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOTW Bats appears as a sponsor/partner on Houston Baseball tournament pages, providing equipment partnerships for MSM events.
• Raising Cane'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRaising Cane's featured as an official sponsor on West Texas tournament pages, providing brand visibility at youth baseball events.
• Academy Sports + OutdoorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAcademy Sports appears as an official sponsor on West Texas tournament pages, supporting youth sports at the community level.
• Texas Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas Children's Hospital serves as official sports medicine partner for Houston-area MSM events, providing concussion protocols, return-to-play guidance, and sports medicine resources for participants.
• EOS WorldwideminorOthersEOS Worldwide appears as a technology/operational partner, with their logo displayed on MSM website. Daniel Himel associated with EOS as referenced in footer.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AAU (Amateur Athletic Union): National amateur sports organization hosting youth tournaments across many sports including baseball, softball, and football. Comparable as a youth tournament organizer with broader sport coverage and institutional scale.
• Babe Ruth League: Long-established youth baseball and softball organization (including Cal Ripken division for pre-teen players). Overlaps with MSM's middle-school baseball demographic but operates formal leagues rather than weekend tournaments.
• PONY Baseball and Softball: Established youth baseball and softball league organization serving players from youth through high school. Overlaps in the middle-school baseball player demographic but with a league-based, multi-week format rather than weekend tournaments.
• USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association): National governing body and tournament organizer for multiple youth and amateur sports including baseball and softball. Comparable because it sanctions the same kinds of events MSM runs, but at much broader scale and with a league/governance focus.

Direct peers

• Game Day USA: Runs youth baseball and softball tournament events with package-based pricing. Directly comparable as a youth tournament operator targeting travel-team families with similar event-driven GTM.
• i9 Sports: Franchise-based youth sports league and program operator across baseball, basketball, flag football, and soccer. Closely comparable because it shares MSM's franchise expansion model and youth-sports parent demographic.
• Triple Crown Sports: Operates youth baseball, softball, and volleyball tournaments nationwide with similar multi-tier registration packages. Directly comparable as a tournament organizer serving traveling youth teams with package-based pricing and event-driven GTM.
• Ripken Baseball: Operates youth baseball tournaments, experiences, and training camps across multiple U.S. venues. Closely comparable as a tournament-and-experience operator targeting youth baseball players and their families.
• Cooperstown Dreams Park: Runs week-long youth baseball tournament experiences in Cooperstown, NY. MSM explicitly positions against Cooperstown ('yes, even Cooperstown'), making it the most direct narrative peer despite differing event cadence.

Emerging players

• Prep Baseball Report: Operates youth baseball showcases, events, and scouting content. Comparable as a youth baseball event operator, though focused more on player evaluation and recruiting than MSM's community/school-based format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/middleschoolmatchup
• Facebookfacebook.com/MiddleSchoolMatchUp
• Instagraminstagram.com/middleschoolmatchup_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/middleschoolmatchup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Middle School Matchup Sports Franchising