Kasey Keller and Brad Stith Are Taking USL By Storm With Athletic Club Boise | OneFootball

USMNT legend Kasey Keller and veteran sports executive Brad Stith discuss Athletic Club Boise, a community-driven club coming soon to USL League One and the USL Super League.

With a mission to deliver top-level, community-centered soccer to Idaho’s Treasure Valley, Athletic Club Boise is the latest American pro soccer club looking to make a splash.

As part of the USL system, the club is focused on sustainable growth, carefully building its team, infrastructure, and fan base for the long term, as its men’s side is slated to begin play in 2026.

The ownership group includes four principal partners, among them entrepreneur Brad Stith and United States men’s national team legend Kasey Keller, who entered as a part owner. In a recent conversation with Urban Pitch, Stith and Keller discuss Athletic Club Boise’s ambitions, the club’s connections to the Basque community and Atlético Bilbao, and the potential of promotion and relegation in the USL.

Athletic Club Boise co-founder and CEO Brad Stith (right) during the club’s brand launch.

Urban Pitch: The first question that comes to mind is, why Idaho? What drove both of you to start a team there?

Brad Stith: Idaho is a hidden gem — though the secret’s pretty much out now. Ten years ago, you could still call it a hidden gem, especially Boise, but over the last decade Boise has been the number one growth market in the country.

In fact, we’re the only market in U.S. history — at least as long as I’ve been tracking MSAs (metropolitan statistical areas) — to jump 30 spots in just five years. We went from the 102nd market to the 73rd, which is remarkable growth.

Add to that the fact that Boise has consistently ranked number one or two on “best places to live” lists over the past 15 years. It’s also among the top three markets for corporate support, and actually ranks number one nationwide for markets under 1 million people when you look at Fortune 500 companies down to small businesses with just 10 employees.

For us, though, the real reason is simple: it’s home. That matters. When Steve Patterson and I started looking at this market back in 2012, the biggest domino to fall was always going to be finding a stadium site that made sense. But even beyond that, Boise is top three per capita in youth soccer participation across the United States.

So when you put all those factors together, bringing professional soccer to Boise wasn’t just an idea we tossed around — it was a no-brainer.

In bigger cities it can be hard to stand out, but in Boise you’ve got the youth soccer numbers and a stadium plan that could grow over time. Do you see this as a generational project where kids grow up with the game and keep that tradition in Idaho?

Stith: We’re building the stadium to 7,500 seats, and we’ve already surpassed 6,000 season ticket deposits. In fact, we’ll be announcing that we’ve broken the all-time USL record for season ticket sales — a record previously held by Nashville and Cincinnati before they moved to MLS. That puts Boise at the top of the pyramid in terms of fan commitment.

From a market evaluation standpoint, Boise checks every KPI. Even if I wasn’t from here, I’d still see it as one of the premier markets in the U.S. without a professional franchise, let alone a professional soccer team. Yes, we have a couple of minor league teams, but nothing with national television exposure for every game.

In bigger cities like New York, Los Angeles, or the Bay Area, you’re dealing with market saturation — a huge pie that’s already divided into countless slices between pro and college sports. Boise is different. Beyond Boise State football, we’ll be the first to bring nationally broadcast professional men’s and women’s teams to this market. That makes Boise not just ready, but uniquely positioned to succeed.

Kasey, you’ve long been associated with Seattle and were part of the Portland Timbers, who are now thriving in MLS. But you also bought a home in Boise, which makes this project feel more personal. How did you first get involved here, and what made you see Boise as the right opportunity — even with the risks someone like you faces in taking it on?

Kasey Keller: For me, it all started by accident. Justin Papadakis, whose family helps lead the USL, saw a photo of me with some club owners from a new franchise in the Bay Area. He reached out through John Harkes to congratulate me, assuming I was part of that ownership group. I had to stop him and say, “Justin, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

That led to a longer conversation where he said he’d still love to have me involved with USL. I told him I was open to it, but only if there was a genuine geographical connection. Joining a team in a city I had no ties to didn’t feel right. Then he mentioned the new project in Boise and connected me with Brad and the other owners.

We had multiple conversations and meetings, and everything just clicked. I liked the people involved, both professionally and personally, and I loved the direction they were going. I spend a lot of time in Idaho now — ESPN is even building me a studio at my home in the mountains — so the connection was natural.

What also drew me in was the USL’s vision, especially with the idea of promotion and relegation. On a personal level, I’d been feeling for years that I wanted to give back more than just through broadcasting. I was fortunate to play in Europe, in World Cups, to live those experiences — and I felt like I owed it to the game to share that in a deeper way. This project gave me that chance. It almost felt like it was meant to happen.

I read about the Basque community in Boise and the indirect ties to Athletic Bilbao, which feels pretty unique when you think about the geography and culture of both regions. There’s already proof of a strong soccer following in Boise — like that Bilbao vs. Tijuana match about a decade ago that drew over 20,000 fans. How do you see this new club tapping into that existing community and building a lasting connection with those fans?

Stith: The friendly you’re thinking of was in 2015, when Athletic Bilbao played Club Tijuana here in Boise. Our co-founder Bill Taylor helped organize it, and it drew 29,000 fans in just a couple of weeks. They even re-sodded the famous blue turf at Boise State’s stadium to make the match possible. That game really marked Boise’s first big step into professional soccer, and the response was incredible.

A big part of that comes from the Basque community. Boise has the largest Basque population outside of Spain and southwestern France, and their culture is deeply woven into the city. We’ve honored that in our crest design and throughout the identity of Athletic Club Boise. Between the Basque Block downtown and the thriving local community, it felt natural to carry that influence into the club. And the name itself — Athletic Club Boise — gives us a unique place in U.S. soccer, as the only professional team using that identity.

🔗 Instagram

Keller: For me, what’s important is how you engage different communities. For decades, clubs in the U.S. have tried to connect with Latin or European populations, but often in ways that weren’t sustainable. Many fans here already have their team — and their loyalty runs deep. If you try to win them over by signing a player from a certain country, it can backfire. Maybe that player comes from a rival club, and suddenly instead of attracting fans, you’ve turned them away.

The key is doing it the right way. Brad has really recognized this — finding ways to honor those communities without alienating anyone. You can respect a fan’s love for Bilbao, Osasuna, or any other club while also making space for them to embrace a local team. Just as important, you’re not excluding your home fans by looking like you’re pandering. Here, it’s been done in a classy way that feels inclusive, and that makes all the difference.

Stith: Our focus has always been on being inclusive of the entire Basque community in Boise. Every five years, the city hosts the Jaialdi Festival, which just happened in July, drawing around 45,000 visitors from the Basque Country. It’s a week-long celebration full of centuries-old traditions — from athletic contests to Basque dancing — and it brings the community together like nothing else.

When Athletic Club played Club Tijuana, the game was meant to coincide with the festival but ended up five days later due to travel. We missed it in 2020 because of COVID, but this year marked the biggest festival week ever. Looking ahead to 2030, as the festival returns, there will be incredible opportunities to grow professional soccer here in Boise alongside this vibrant cultural event.

Keller: What I’d love to see is a situation where someone of Basque descent can still support their European team, but also have a local team here in Boise to call their own. It’s like Drew Carey with the Sounders — he grew up a Cleveland fan, but when he was in L.A., supporting Seattle didn’t feel like “cheating” on his hometown team.

That’s what Athletic Club Boise can be: a local team fans can support wholeheartedly, without feeling they’re betraying the teams their families have loved for generations. It gives people a place to belong in their own community while still honoring their roots.

Looking beyond soccer, how do you see the USL positioned today within the U.S. sports landscape, and where could it realistically grow in the future, especially after the upcoming World Cup and the expected soccer boom?

Keller: Having spent 20 years in the world’s biggest leagues, I often get asked by Americans what it’s like playing in the Premier League or La Liga. The best way I can describe it is this: if you combine baseball, basketball, and football into one sport, that’s the attention level football commands globally. Most countries have a singular focus on the sport, which is something unique compared to the U.S., where sports attention is divided. MLS or the U.S. national team can grow, but it will be almost impossible to reach that global intensity.

That’s why relevance in your local community is key, and that’s where Brad was spot on about Boise. You have to start locally — commercial presence, player engagement, season tickets, local media coverage. Once that’s established, you can see how far you can go. The U.S. is huge, and smaller markets have the opportunity to be truly relevant in the sport without competing with oversaturated cities like London. College sports and other mainstream pastimes make the competition for attention unique here, but Boise is already showing it can capture that focus — with 6,000 season ticket applications already, less than a year out, it’s clear this market is engaged and ready.

Stith: The reason we chose to join the USL ecosystem was about growth — being part of something expanding while also setting the standard within it. This year, the USL has 40 men’s teams, covering five of the top 10 U.S. markets and 35 of the next 50. By 2026, there will be 49 teams, and with promotion and relegation in place, I wouldn’t be surprised if that number grows to 54–60 teams, adding major markets that currently don’t have USL or MLS presence.

For owners in those markets, the choice is strategic: aim for MLS expansion, or build a USL team with room to grow. For us, entering Boise with promotion and relegation on the horizon meant focusing on building the club the right way — no shortcuts, creating a strong fan base, and maintaining high business standards. Our goal is unapologetically to set every USL business record.

Boise has a history of punching above its weight. Just look at Boise State football: that first win against Oklahoma was a turning point, and since then, the program has become nationally recognized. That same spirit and ambition is what we’re bringing to Athletic Club Boise — building something local, relevant, and capable of competing with bigger markets.

Keller: It really builds on itself. You saw it with (Ashton) Jeanty — he could have chased a bigger NIL deal elsewhere, but the setup here was so strong that it didn’t make sense. Brad and the team have created an environment where players, coaches, and directors feel the same way: why leave when everything is so well-structured?

What excites me about promotion and relegation is that you don’t need hundreds of millions just to compete. The system allows the club to grow bigger and better when the time is right, with the infrastructure already in place to support it.

The USL’s Appeal to Investors

Graphic via traceup.com.

With the USL moving toward promotion and relegation, do you see it creating a system like the Premier League’s — one that balances competition with financial security for clubs and investors?

Keller: Looking at examples from Germany and England, smaller clubs often face a hard reality: they can’t sustain promotion beyond a certain level without risking bankruptcy. In (the EFL) League One, for instance, owners sometimes have to tell coaches they simply can’t move up to the Championship because the finances and infrastructure aren’t there.

The USL is in a unique position because promotion and relegation is new — fans aren’t yet expecting instant climbs to the top. This allows the league to set realistic standards: yes, teams compete to win, but only if the infrastructure, stadium, and fan base can support moving up. Done thoughtfully, it keeps the competition exciting without putting clubs or investors at risk.

Stith: When we evaluated this project, having a stadium that could expand to 15,000 was key. To meet U.S. Soccer Division I standards, infrastructure matters — unlike some lower-division UK teams constrained by their locations.

Beyond tickets and sponsorships, broadcast revenue is crucial for tier-one viability. With national exposure on ESPN, CBS, NBC, and Peacock, both our men’s and women’s teams are positioned to grow sustainably. Our goal was to create a setup that allows expansion and flexibility, so if opportunities arise, our ownership group is ready to seize them.

Keller: When MLS moved its local broadcasts to Apple, three teams still barely registered on TV locally. Selling out a 7,500-seat stadium with 6,000 season ticket holders is great, but real relevance comes from how many people are watching beyond the stands. The Premier League isn’t big just because of stadium attendance — it’s the global TV audience, with millions tuning in every week. For American soccer to grow, it’s not just about filling seats; it’s about being meaningful to fans at home as well.

A True Media Audience

Would you agree that the real “Holy Grail” for American soccer — MLS, USL, or others — is cracking the TV and media market, especially competing with mainstream American sports?

Keller: Americans have long understood the quality gap. You can’t compare a Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid squad with hundreds of millions in payroll to an MLS team with a $9 million budget and not expect a difference. It’s like comparing Canadian football to the NFL — the best of the best will always draw attention.

The key is local support. This is your team, right here in your community. Fans can still follow global giants, but first and foremost, they need to buy into Boise. National TV exposure is great, but the priority is getting people in Boise excited about their own team, attending games, and feeling connected.

Looking ahead five years, after the World Cup boom, where do you realistically want to see your club — in terms of payroll, roster, youth development, and overall ecosystem?

Stith: Starting this summer, North American soccer is entering an unprecedented period, particularly in the U.S., with broadcast opportunities unlike anything before. From the Club World Cup to the men’s and women’s World Cups, plus CONCACAF tournaments, fans can follow top-level soccer in their own time zone. At the same time, professional soccer valuations in MLS, NWSL, and USL have skyrocketed, reflecting surging demand. Launching Athletic Club Boise during this period allows us to grow pragmatically, building a club that’s competitive on and off the field while aligning with the broader boom in U.S. soccer.

For us, running a professional sports team is a serious business, not a hobby. We see Athletic Club Boise as a community asset — the Treasure Valley and Idaho own this team. Success requires championship culture across both sporting and business operations, with full collaboration and communication. Over the next five years, our focus is on building the right foundation, so we can seize opportunities as they arise, ensuring sustainable growth and long-term success while keeping the club firmly rooted in its community.

Keller: What worries me isn’t Boise — that’s exactly why I’m involved, as Brad said — it’s the idea that a franchise can lose millions each year with the expectation that a World Cup will suddenly make soccer the biggest sport in America. That’s not how growth works. Real progress is incremental, built step by step, from our early days qualifying for the World Cup in 1990, to where the national team is now, and how MLS has developed over time. Without that steady foundation, you risk treating the sport like a fad instead of building something sustainable.

What worries me is relying too heavily on a single star, like Lionel Messi. Once they retire, what’s left? I prefer building incrementally — improving the team, sustaining interest, and navigating the natural ups and downs of pro sports. Quick financial bursts are unsustainable and risky; that’s why European leagues try to prevent owners from simply buying success.

That’s why I love what the USL is doing: starting with the fundamentals, building the stadium and fan base, and competing sustainably. Each step forward — whether through World Cups or growing interest in soccer — adds to long-term growth. Giant leaps in a short time just aren’t realistic or sustainable.

USMNT and a Successful World Cup

Do you think the growth of soccer in the U.S. still hinges on having a successful World Cup for the USMNT, or has it reached a point where building strong local clubs and community-based teams, like what you’re doing in Idaho, can drive the sport’s growth independently — even as many MLS and USL teams rely less on American players?

Keller: No, I don’t believe that. We’re way past the idea that everything hinges on one World Cup. Soccer didn’t end when we didn’t qualify in 2018 — that happens. Sometimes you have to fail to move forward. People will say, “It’s a failure if the U.S. doesn’t reach the quarterfinals while hosting.” But let’s be realistic — we’re not one of the absolute top eight footballing nations in the world. That quarterfinal expectation is not a given.

It all depends on who you play. Should we beat the Dutch in a round of 16? Realistically, no. Could we? Yes. But “should” implies it’s mandatory, and that’s not the case. Our team has overachieved over the years, taking scalps we weren’t expected to, but we’re still probably ranked 30th or 40th in the world. Timing, matchups, and circumstances matter. Look at Korea when we beat Portugal. They were imploding internally, which helped us.

We’re not Spain, Germany, Brazil, or Argentina — teams where reaching a quarterfinal is expected. A World Cup can go well, it can go badly, we can qualify or fail — but none of that is catastrophic. We need to peak at the right time, make smart decisions, and recognize the unpredictability. Missing a milestone doesn’t mean the world is ending.

Interview edited for brevity and clarity.