Georgia’s Fayette County Development Authority sold $200 million in bonds to finance a new headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The bonds mature between 2026 and 2054, yielding between 3.38% and 4.26%. They received a rating of BBB from Fitch Ratings.
The authority will loan the bond proceeds to U.S. Soccer, while will use them to build a training facility and headquarters near Atlanta.
The rating “reflects U.S. Soccer’s premier position in the U.S. soccer ecosystem” and “considers the relatively limited but growing fan base of U.S. Soccer and the sport of soccer’s status domestically,” Fitch analysts wrote.
U.S. Soccer will take the pitch in Georgia after more than thirty years in Chicago, Illinois. The training center will be a “first-of-its-kind facility” that includes 12 grass soccer fields, a beach field, and a futsal pitch, according to the official statement accompanying the sale of the bonds. Construction began in April, with the goal of opening before the U.S.-cohosted World Cup in 2026.
The bonds are special, limited obligations of the Fayette County Development Authority, secured by a deed on the training center and U.S. soccer revenue from sponsorships, tickets, and other sources.
Goldman Sachs & Co LLC served as underwriter on the issuance, purchasing the bonds for $215.5 million. The price reflected a premium of $17.1 million and a discount of $1.6 million.