D1 Sports, D1 Sports Training

When Will Bartholomew was cut from the NFL after an ACL injury derailed his professional football career, he returned to Nashville, Tennessee, searching for a training facility that matched the intensity and focus he had experienced as a Division I athlete — a place with fired-up coaches, great energy, and a science-backed methodology built for serious performance. He found nothing. That gap between what high-performance athletes needed and what the commercial gym industry offered became the founding thesis behind D1 Sports Training. Bartholomew, who had earned All-State honors in football, wrestling, and track in high school, won the 1998 National Championship playing fullback alongside Peyton Manning at the University of Tennessee, and captained the Volunteers in 2001, launched D1 Training in 2001 with his first facility opening in 2002 in Nashville. The concept was simple but differentiated: bring Division I-caliber coaching, periodization programming, and athletic development infrastructure to everyday athletes — from seven-year-olds just beginning their competitive journey to adults seeking performance-level fitness. As of January 2026, D1 Sports Training operates over 165 training facilities nationwide, having awarded more than 90 new franchise agreements and opened over 40 locations in 2025 alone. The brand began franchising in 2015 and has since expanded exclusively within the United States, with particularly strong penetration in Florida, North Carolina, and Texas, where Denton, Texas, alone is home to the 22nd D1 Training location in that state. The company's headquarters moved from Nashville to Franklin, Tennessee, and D1 Sports Franchise, LLC was formally established as a Tennessee limited liability company on December 4, 2014. For franchise investors evaluating opportunities in the fitness and athletic training space, D1 Sports Training represents a brand built on personal conviction rather than financial engineering — a distinction that shapes everything from its culture to its unit economics to its franchisee community. This analysis is independent research conducted by PeerSense.com and is not affiliated with or compensated by D1 Training or its parent entity.

The fitness industry presents one of the most resilient and structurally attractive markets available to franchise investors, generating approximately $33 billion in annual U.S. revenue with an IBIS World-documented growth rate of 2.1% per year. But D1 Sports Training operates at the intersection of two distinct high-growth markets: the broader fitness industry and the youth sports training sector, which independently exceeds $19 billion in annual market value. That dual-market positioning is strategically meaningful because it insulates franchisees against the demographic and demand fluctuations that affect single-focus fitness concepts. Consumer behavior data consistently shows a strong secular shift toward specialized, performance-oriented training over generalist gym memberships, with boutique fitness concepts systematically gaining market share from traditional big-box health clubs. D1's athlete mix reflects this broader trend with precision: 61% of its clientele consists of youth athletes between the ages of 7 and 18, while 39% are adults seeking athletic-based conditioning — a ratio that ensures programming depth across two substantial and growing consumer segments. The competitive dynamics in athletic performance training remain relatively fragmented, particularly in the youth sports vertical, where institutional-quality coaching infrastructure has historically been confined to elite prep schools and college programs. That fragmentation creates a meaningful runway for a branded, systematized operator like D1 Sports Training to establish category authority in markets where no equivalent offering exists. Macro forces including rising parental investment in youth athletic development, the growing recognition of strength and conditioning in injury prevention, and the post-pandemic consumer preference for community-driven fitness environments all create sustained demand tailwinds that favor D1's positioning as a franchise investment category.

The D1 Sports Training franchise investment is structured as a mid-tier entry into the fitness franchise landscape, requiring a total estimated initial investment ranging from approximately $481,000 to $933,000 depending on facility size, geographic market, and leasehold improvement scope. The initial franchise fee is $59,500, which positions D1 slightly above the median for fitness studio concepts but is consistent with the brand's differentiated athletic training infrastructure, coaching credentialing requirements, and the operational complexity of running periodization-based programming. For context, leasehold improvements represent the largest variable in the investment range, spanning from $233,765 to $561,156 depending on the condition of the chosen space, with real estate services adding approximately $5,000. Equipment costs are largely fixed at $69,000 for the core performance equipment package, with optional cardio equipment adding up to $16,341. Franchisees should also budget $29,500 for an opening support fee, $12,000 to $20,000 for initial marketing spend, $5,000 to $8,000 for computer equipment and software, and $35,000 to $55,000 in additional working capital reserves to cover the first three months of operations before membership revenue reaches stabilization. The minimum liquid capital requirement is $150,000 to $250,000, with a net worth threshold of $500,000 — requirements that reflect the brand's expectation of financially stable operators capable of sustaining the facility through its pre-sales and ramp-up period. The ongoing royalty rate is 7.00% of gross revenues, with a national brand fund advertising fee of 2.00%, bringing the total recurring fee burden to 9.00% of gross sales. When evaluated against the fitness franchise category, where royalties often range from 5% to 8% and advertising fees add another 1% to 3%, D1's combined 9% fee structure is within standard industry range. The brand has also brought construction project management and equipment sourcing in-house, a meaningful cost-control initiative that can reduce build-out costs and timeline uncertainty for new franchisees.

D1 Sports Training operates on a membership-based model that combines recurring monthly revenue with add-on services, creating a dual-revenue structure that provides the operational stability investors seek in fitness concepts. The facility model is designed to support one coach per up to 24 athletes, a staffing ratio that enables scalable programming delivery without proportionally scaling labor costs. The four core age-based training programs — Rookie, Developmental, Prep, and D1 Adult — each incorporate five athletic-based tenets: dynamic warm-up, performance training, strength work, core and conditioning, and cool down. Programs run on 5-to-8-week cycles designed by D1's National Head Speed and Strength Coach Panel using a periodization philosophy that mirrors the training protocols used by elite college and professional athletic programs. Franchisees attend a week-long initial training program at D1's home office and flagship facility in Nashville, Tennessee, covering lease negotiations, remodeling and construction, equipment purchasing, staff hiring and scheduling, billing systems, and workout design. Ongoing support includes nearly constant access to home office staff, an extensive peer network of other franchise owners, enhanced marketing tools including done-for-you promotional calendars and turnkey campaigns, and a newly launched mobile app with a forthcoming website relaunch. D1 has also relaunched its Franchise Advisory Council, giving franchisees direct and consistent access to senior leadership for feedback, suggestions, and operational collaboration — a governance structure that reflects a more mature franchise system than most fitness brands at comparable unit counts. Territory rights are structured through Area Development Agreements that allow franchisees to acquire, develop, and operate multiple facilities within a defined geographic region, with the average D1 owner currently operating 2.5 territories. The model supports both owner-operator and semi-absentee ownership structures, with the manager-run option attractive to investors who want exposure to the fitness category without requiring full-time on-site presence.

Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document available in the PeerSense database for D1 Sports Training. However, the company has made public financial performance representations in prior-year FDD filings and through press communications that allow for meaningful unit economics analysis. According to D1's 2017 FDD, franchise owners produced average revenues of $542,272 at a time when the system had approximately 32 facilities in operation. By 2023, the average gross revenue for D1 franchised businesses had grown to $808,219 — representing a 49% increase in average unit volume over six years, a compound trajectory that materially outpaces the broader fitness industry's 2.1% annual growth rate. An additional reported average unit volume figure of $626,000 represents D1's mid-range performance benchmark across the system, while a gross revenue figure of $716,366 has been cited as representing 182% of the fitness studio sub-sector average of $392,853 — meaning the average D1 location generates nearly double the revenue of a typical fitness studio competitor. One franchisee, Shaun Wardle, reported that 85% of his members also maintained a big-box gym membership but came to D1 specifically for goal-oriented performance training, and that his facility was targeting over $200 per member in services beyond the base membership fee — a layered revenue architecture that suggests material upside potential beyond simple membership economics. Top-performing D1 locations have exceeded $1 million in annual revenue, a threshold that, when measured against the total investment range of $481,000 to $933,000, implies a revenue-to-investment multiple of roughly 1.0x to 2.0x at top-quartile performance. The payback period is naturally dependent on local market penetration, coaching quality, pre-sales execution, and real estate cost structure, but the publicly available revenue trajectory indicates a brand whose unit economics are strengthening as the system matures and corporate support infrastructure scales.

D1 Sports Training has demonstrated one of the most consistent growth trajectories in the fitness franchise segment, moving from 32 locations in 2017 to 117 in operation by November 2024, to over 165 operating facilities as of January 2026 — a net expansion of more than 130 units in roughly eight years of franchising. The brand surpassed 150 locations in July 2025, a milestone accompanied by more than 200 additional franchises in various stages of development, suggesting a near-term pipeline capable of supporting the company's stated goal of opening its 200th location in 2026. In 2025, D1 opened over 40 locations and awarded more than 90 new franchise agreements, making it one of the most actively expanding fitness franchise systems in the United States by new unit count. May 2025 marked the brand's highest monthly sales in history, with June 2025 tracking to break even that record — performance indicators that suggest system-wide momentum beyond simple unit count expansion. Recognition milestones have reinforced D1's category leadership: the brand has appeared on the Inc. 5000 for four consecutive years, ranking 1,917 overall, fourth within sports organizations, and second-highest ranked fitness brand in 2024 with a three-year revenue growth rate of 272%. On Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500, D1 Training climbed 75 spots year-over-year in 2025 and earned a Top 10 Fitness Franchise designation for the fourth consecutive year. Strategic partnerships with ClassPass and WellHub are creating incremental revenue channels, while beta testing of dayparting partnerships like 2 Hour Learning signals an appetite for non-traditional facility utilization models that could improve revenue per square foot. In November 2024, D1 hired former Tennessee Titans player Shad Meier as Vice President of Construction Management — one of five executive hires specifically designed to accelerate unit openings — while the company's home office team nearly doubled year-over-year to support a rapidly scaling franchise infrastructure. The launch of "The Turf: Powered by D1," a podcast hosted by CEO Will Bartholomew featuring guests including Tim Tebow, Luke Bryan, and R.A. Dickey, and the brand's first-ever National Challenge engaging over 800 adult participants nationwide, reflect a brand investing in community-driven marketing tools that build national brand equity at the local level.

The ideal D1 Sports Training franchisee is someone who combines financial readiness with genuine passion for athletic performance and community impact, though the semi-absentee model means that prior fitness industry experience is helpful rather than mandatory. The average D1 franchise owner operates 2.5 territories, which means the brand actively cultivates multi-unit operators rather than single-location investors, and Area Development Agreements are the primary mechanism through which ambitious franchisees can secure geographic territory before competing operators enter their market. The most active growth markets for D1 are Florida, North Carolina, and Texas, reflecting a consumer demographic heavily concentrated in Sun Belt markets where youth sports participation rates and disposable income levels support robust membership bases. Franchisees should plan for a ramp-up period that D1 addresses directly through its proven pre-sales process, which is designed to generate membership revenue before the facility formally opens — a critical cash flow management tool that separates professionally supported franchise systems from independent gym startups. COO Dan Murphy, who joined D1 in 2005, and VP of Operations Austin, who is also the brand's largest franchise owner with facilities across multiple states, represent leadership that has practical, operator-level experience in the D1 system — a credibility factor that matters when evaluating the quality of corporate guidance franchisees will receive post-signing. Franchisees entering growth markets in the Southeast and Southwest are particularly well-positioned given D1's existing brand recognition infrastructure in those regions, though underserved markets across the Midwest and Mountain West represent expansion opportunities for investors seeking first-mover advantages in their territories.

For investors conducting serious due diligence on the athletic training and performance franchise category, D1 Sports Training presents a compelling case study in brand-led market creation. Founded from personal conviction by a former Division I national champion and NFL player, scaled from a single Nashville facility in 2002 to over 165 locations generating average revenues approaching $808,000 per unit, and growing its franchise system at a pace that produced 272% three-year revenue growth and consecutive Inc. 5000 recognition, D1 Training occupies a defensible position at the intersection of two multi-billion-dollar markets. The total investment range of $481,000 to $933,000, combined with a 9% combined fee structure, a semi-absentee ownership model, and a corporate infrastructure that has deliberately invested in franchisee support — including in-house construction management, a relaunched Franchise Advisory Council, and a doubling of the home office support team — reflects a system that is maturing rapidly without losing the operational focus that created its unit-level economics. The brand's stated pipeline of over 200 franchises in development as of mid-2025, its goal of reaching 200 open locations in 2026, and its strategic expansion into digital platforms, national partnerships, and athlete performance verification systems position it as a franchise investment with both near-term operational support and long-term category growth potential. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that allow investors to evaluate D1 Training against competing fitness franchise concepts with objective, data-driven precision. Explore the complete D1 Sports, D1 Sports Training franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.