The United Soccer League has added Tampa-based Weatherford Capital as a strategic partner, expanding the BellTower Partners-led investor group ahead of its planned 2028 Division I men’s league launch and the introduction of promotion and relegation across its three-tier system.
The investment, announced Wednesday, adds to the league’s institutional capital as it advances USL Premier, its new top-tier men’s league scheduled to begin play in 2028.
The three-division structure will allow clubs to move between tiers based on performance, introducing promotion and relegation to American professional soccer. Financial terms were not disclosed.
USL is headquartered in Tampa.
“Weatherford Capital is an ideal partner for the USL,” CEO Alec Papadakis said. “They bring extensive experience across the sports landscape and a disciplined investment approach. Through their work with leading institutions, teams and platforms, they understand both the business of sports and its impact in communities and are highly respected and admired in Tampa Bay.”
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Weatherford joins BellTower Partners, which made its initial strategic investment in September 2025. BellTower founder and CEO Kewsong Lee became vice chair of the USL board at that time.
The original investor group included Advaya Capital and several family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
“As institutional capital continues to flow into sports globally, USL’s scale, structure and long-term growth profile position it as a compelling platform at the intersection of sports, community development and investment,” Lee said.
USL operates in more than 200 communities nationwide and holds media rights agreements with CBS Sports, ESPN, TUDN and Peacock. On the men’s side, the organization oversees the USL Championship, USL League One and USL League Two.
USL Premier will sit at the top of that structure when it launches in 2028. On the women’s side, the Gainbridge Super League launched in 2024 and is in its second season, alongside the USL W League and youth development platforms.
The league ties new teams to stadium-anchored development projects in multiple markets, linking club expansion to mixed-use real estate and local economic activity.
That model has drawn interest from investors seeking exposure to league growth, media rights and development-driven revenue streams.
Founded in 2015 by Drew, Sam and Will Weatherford, Weatherford Capital manages more than $1 billion in assets and operates from offices in Tampa, Dallas and Chicago.
The firm invests across technology, financial services, business services, sports and public-sector markets.
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Its sports portfolio includes IMG Academy, a minority stake in the Tampa Bay Rays and investments in collegiate and youth athletics platforms.
“As a Tampa-based firm, we’ve seen firsthand how professional sports can transform a community and create lasting economic value,” Drew Weatherford said. “Sports is completing its transition into a core institutional asset class, and soccer in the United States is one of the most compelling opportunities within that shift. The USL’s scale, multi-tier structure and national reach give it a differentiated long-term growth profile, and we look forward to supporting the league as it enters its defining era.”
With Weatherford Capital now part of the investor group, USL continues preparations for its 2028 Division I launch and the rollout of its three-tier structure.
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