Orange County Soccer Club (OCSC) is seeking between $10 million and $15 million in new investment. Owner James Keston aims to transform the 10-year-old franchise into a world-class organization, with plans that include an expanded stadium, a larger youth academy, and the eventual formation of a professional women’s team.
Mr. Keston described the club’s journey to date, noting that OCSC has "in many many ways been a startup for the last decade or so." He emphasized a long-term vision, expressing a wish for the club to be around for "50 or 100 years," rather than merely a decade. To facilitate this growth, the club has initiated discussions with potential partners and engaged Polar Sun Ventures as an advisor to the process.
This push for investment follows a period of heightened visibility for OCSC, particularly from the 2026 FIFA World Cup and recent U.S. Men’s National Team training sessions. These high-profile events took place at the Great Park’s Championship Soccer Stadium, which serves as OCSC’s home field. Mr. Keston highlighted the local benefit of these events, saying, "It was a great thing for us and a great thing for Irvine."
The club is coming off a season that set new attendance records. OCSC drew the three largest crowds in its history during the past season, including two consecutive sellouts at its 6,500-seat venue. This achievement followed a 30% increase in the stadium’s capacity earlier in the year. Single-game ticket sales saw a 10% rise, while early renewals and new sales for 2027 season tickets are approximately 30% higher compared to the same period last year.
As Orange County’s only professional soccer team, OCSC was among the 12 founding members of the United Soccer League (USL). The USL has grown into a 25-team development circuit, frequently serving as a pathway for players to advance to Major League Soccer (MLS) or international clubs.
A primary motivation for the capital raise is to position OCSC for the USL’s planned launch of a new Division One men’s league, known as USL Premier, in 2028. This new league aims to feature 20 teams and will anchor a new three-division system. Significantly, USL Premier is set to introduce promotion and relegation to American men’s professional soccer for the first time. OCSC currently competes in the Western Conference of the USL Championship, which is the second tier of U.S. soccer, positioned below MLS.
Mr. Keston described the impending USL Premier launch as "an exceptionally exciting process." He affirmed the club’s intent to participate, stating, "We certainly want to be in that conversation," and noting that "a portion of that is stadium size." To meet potential league requirements, the club plans to first expand the Championship Soccer Stadium’s capacity to 8,000 seats, with further ambitions to reach 10,000 seats.
In addition to the stadium expansion and youth academy plans, the club is also developing a professional women’s team. These plans are currently underway as part of the broader strategy to establish OCSC as a comprehensive, long-standing soccer organization.
The club has already begun discussions with prospective partners as it works towards securing the necessary investment to fund these extensive growth initiatives.
