Michigan Tigers FC
Tax status: unverified — likely nonprofit (no Michigan ProPublica match under this exact name; legal entity TBD)
Overview
Michigan Tigers FC (MTFC) is the dominant elite-pathway youth soccer club in the Ann Arbor / Washtenaw County market. The club operates from offices and the WideWorld Sports Center at 2140 Oak Valley Drive in Ann Arbor and uses a network of supplemental venues across the area. MTFC predates 2017 (when current Club Director Andy Pritchard joined) and has scaled materially over the past several years, with the club self-reporting 1,400+ players, 111 teams, and 37 coaches as of the 2025-26 season.
In 2025 the club achieved two notable national-pathway milestones: (1) it was named a member of MLS NEXT’s new Academy Division (the second-tier “new competition tier” launched for 2025-26) and (2) the 2008 Girls won MTFC’s first-ever national championship at an ECNL or comparable event in July 2025.
Financials
No Form 990 filing was located on ProPublica under “Michigan Tigers FC,” “Michigan Tigers Soccer,” or related searches in Michigan as of May 2026 (LOW confidence on tax status — may be 990-N postcard filer, may be a for-profit LLC, or filed under a different legal name). At ~1,400 players the club’s total program revenue likely runs in the $2-4M range based on Michigan-comparable per-player economics, but this is an estimate, not a filing-derived figure.
Teams & Players
- 1,400+ players (HIGH; club homepage)
- 111 teams (HIGH; club homepage)
- 37 coaches (HIGH; club homepage)
- Programming spans Junior Tigers (entry-level) through Girls Academy and MLS NEXT Academy Division (top competitive tiers)
League Affiliations
- MLS NEXT — Academy Division (the new second tier launched 2025-26)
- Girls Academy (GA) — top girls platform
- National League (Girls) — secondary girls platform
- National Academy League (NAL) (boys) — joined for 2025-26
- Pre-GA / Pre-MLS NEXT development tiers
- Spring travel soccer, futsal, TOP Soccer (special needs)
The dual GA + MLS NEXT Academy Division alignment makes MTFC one of a small number of Michigan clubs holding both top-tier boys and girls national-platform franchises.
Facilities
MTFC does not own dedicated game facilities; instead it operates across a multi-venue footprint anchored by:
- WideWorld Sports Center (2140 Oak Valley Dr, Ann Arbor 48103) — primary office and indoor training base. Three indoor boarded/boardless fields plus an outdoor turf complex.
- EMU Dome (Eastern Michigan University) — winter indoor
- Legacy Center — supplemental indoor
- Ann Arbor Airport fields — outdoor seasonal
- Hubbard Fields (University of Michigan) and U of M Coliseum
- Lincoln Athletic Building and Rolling Hills
Leadership
- Zach Artinian — Club Manager
- Andy Pritchard — Club Director (joined 2017; previously Technical Director at Canton Celtic SC, Director of Coaching at Michigan Rush Downriver; USSF A License, NSCAA Premier Diploma; 21 years coaching prior to joining MTFC; former AFC Ann Arbor head women’s coach 2018-19)
- Barry Scott — Director of Coaching (also serves as Technical Director at Michigan Jaguars FC — split-role arrangement, see Open Questions)
- Billyle Alman — Girls Academy Director
Competitive Position
MTFC is the largest competitive youth club in Washtenaw County and the only Ann Arbor-area program holding both MLS NEXT (any tier) and Girls Academy franchises. Its main in-state peers for elite girls are the Michigan Hawks (ECNL Girls, Livonia) and Nationals SC (Farmington Hills); on the boys side, primary peers are Midwest United FC (West Michigan) and Vardar SC for top-tier boys MLS NEXT placement.
Industry Context
The Ann Arbor / Washtenaw County market has historically been considered underserved relative to its demographic profile (median household income roughly $87K, university town with strong youth-sports participation). MTFC’s scale of 1,400+ players in a county of ~370K residents represents meaningful market consolidation, and the 2025-26 dual-pathway (GA + MLS NEXT Academy Division) elevates the club’s positioning relative to peers that hold only one or the other. The MLS NEXT Academy Division itself is a significant 2025-26 league development — a deliberate two-tier broadening of the MLS NEXT platform — and Michigan-state placement at this tier will shape boys-side competitive flows over the next several seasons.
Open Questions
- Legal entity name and tax status (nonprofit vs LLC; likely files under a name other than “Michigan Tigers FC”)
- Annual revenue and net financial position
- Whether Barry Scott’s role is split between MTFC and Michigan Jaguars or whether one is a current/former arrangement
- Founding year and original entity name (the club clearly predates 2017 but founding history is not surfaced publicly)
- Outdoor field ownership / long-term venue control — currently a multi-venue rental footprint