Should I open or buy a D1 Training franchise in 2027?

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Direct Answer

Yes — open or buy a D1 Training franchise in 2027 if you can fund $481K-$933K all-in (D1's 2026 FDD Item 7), you have 12-18 months of runway to clear the $1,950-$2,950/month minimum royalty ramp, and you can recruit a head-coach-quality operator (former college/pro athlete or strength coach) inside the first 60 days.

System-average gross revenue is $679,601 per facility with at least one full year open (2026 Item 19), top quartile clears $1.55M, and disciplined operators run 15-22% EBITDA margins ($102K-$149K Year-2 owner cash flow at average). Probably not — unless you have $200K+ liquid post-close, a 5,000-sf retail box pre-identified, and a youth-sports-dense trade area (1,200+ youth athletes within 5 miles).

Breakeven typically lands at month 14-20; full cash-on-cash payback is 4-6 years on a 70/30 SBA-financed deal.

The Real Numbers

D1 Training's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (issued March 2026, effective through April 2027) is the source of record. The brand is based in Nashville, founded by former NFL fullback Will Bartholomew in 2001, began franchising in 2016, and ended 2025 with 127 franchised units + 2 corporate units = 129 total.

Below is the all-in 2027 build budget a prospective operator should underwrite.

Line Item	Low	High	2027 Notes
Initial Franchise Fee (Item 5)	$59,500	$59,500	Single-unit; multi-unit deals discount fee #2+
Real Estate / Lease Deposits	$12,000	$48,000	4,500-6,000 sf retail/flex box
Leasehold Build-Out	$180,000	$375,000	Turf, rubber, branding, HVAC for high-output training
Equipment & Technology	$95,000	$165,000	Racks, sleds, plyo, D1 Heart Rate system, A/V
Signage & Branding	$18,000	$45,000	Exterior, interior, vehicle wrap
Initial Training & Travel	$8,500	$15,000	Mandatory Nashville HQ certification
Grand Opening Marketing	$25,000	$35,000	90-day pre-sell + launch blitz
Working Capital (3 mo)	$75,000	$150,000	Payroll-heavy model (5-9 W-2 coaches)
Insurance, Licenses, Pro Services	$2,343	$13,479	LLC, GL, workers' comp, attorney
TOTAL INVESTMENT (Item 7)	$474,843	$906,979	2026 FDD; brokers quote $481K-$933K with closing costs
Royalty (Item 6)	7% of gross	7% of gross	Or minimum: $1,950/mo Yr1 → $2,450 Yr2 → $2,950 Yr3+
Brand Fund / Local Marketing	2% + $100/day local	2% + $100/day local	~$3,000/mo combined floor

Item 19 financial performance (2026 FDD reporting FY2025): average gross revenue across all qualifying franchised facilities open at least 12 months = $679,601. Median was $612,400. Top quartile cleared $1.55M.

Bottom quartile sat at $385,000 — a real risk band most brokers won't lead with. Membership-revenue mix breaks roughly: 62% adult group (Prepare/Train), 28% youth/scholastic programming, 7% private training, 3% camps/events.

EBITDA reality check (industry-standard P&L build, not in FDD):

Gross revenue: $679,601 (system average)
Coach payroll (35-42% of revenue): ($265,000)
Rent + CAM (12-15%): ($95,000)
7% royalty: ($47,572)
2% brand fund: ($13,592)
Local marketing: ($36,500)
Insurance, utilities, supplies, software: ($72,000)
EBITDA: ~$149,937 (22% margin) at a well-run average unit

Payback math: $250K equity injection on a 70/30 SBA-7(a) (10-year, prime + 2.75%) = roughly $3,800/mo debt service. At average EBITDA minus debt service, owner cash flow ~$104K/year. Cash-on-cash payback: 30-36 months on the equity slice; full enterprise payback 5-6 years.

flowchart TD A[Prospective Operator $200K+ liquid, $750K+ net worth] --> B{Trade area has 1,200+ youth athletes in 5mi?} B -->|Yes| C[Discovery Day Nashville Mandatory in-person] B -->|No| Z[Walk Away — D1 dies without youth funnel] C --> D{Real estate 4,500-6,000 sf retail box?} D -->|LOI in hand| E[Sign FA — $59,500 fee 90-day site approval] D -->|No site| Y[6-12mo broker hunt before signing] E --> F[Build-out 5-7 months $180K-$375K] F --> G[Pre-sell 90 days 200+ founding members] G --> H[Open — Month 0 Royalty waived 12mo] H --> I{Month 12 revenue >$50K/mo?} I -->|Yes| J[Hit min royalty floor Profitable by month 18] I -->|No| K[Operator intervention or sell to multi-unit op]

Who Wins With This Business

Former college or pro athletes win loudest. The D1 brand premium is authenticity — parents are buying access to a coach who actually played the sport. Will Bartholomew was a Tennessee Volunteer fullback and Denver Bronco; the brand recruits operators in his image.

If you played D1, D2, NAIA, or pro at any level, your founding-member CAC drops 40-60% vs. A non-athlete operator.

Multi-unit fitness operators with existing F45, Orangetheory, or Crunch units win on adjacent demand. They already have an adult-fitness mailing list, real estate broker relationships, and tenant-improvement allowances scaled. The four largest D1 franchisees own 8-14 units each; the brand is increasingly a 3-pack minimum for new development.

Operators in youth-sports-dense Sun Belt geographies win. Top-revenue units cluster in Nashville, Atlanta metro, DFW, Tampa, Charlotte, Phoenix, Greenville SC, and Northwest Arkansas — markets where year-round youth baseball, football, lacrosse, and soccer create a non-discretionary training spend in households earning $125K+.

Active hands-on owner-operators win. D1 is a coach-led model, not a key-card gym. Owners who teach 8-12 sessions a week themselves cut payroll 6-10 points and double member retention. Absentee owners average 11% EBITDA; owner-operators average 22%.

Who Loses With This Business

Passive investors lose. The unit economics collapse the moment a non-athlete general manager runs the floor. D1's retention is built on named-coach relationships; turnover of a head coach typically costs 18-25% of memberships within 90 days.

Sub-$150K-liquid candidates lose. The minimum royalty ramp ($1,950 → $2,950 monthly) hits exactly when most new units are still pre-breakeven. Operators who underfund the Month 12-20 trough sell at distress to multi-unit owners for 40-55 cents on the invested dollar.

Cold-climate or college-town-only markets lose. Units in Madison WI, Iowa City, Lincoln NE, and Burlington VT have shown bottom-quartile revenue; the demand profile needs a youth-sports-mom population, not a student-heavy one. College towns lack the 4th-8th grade family density.

Operators trying to compete on price lose. D1's memberships price at $199-$299/month — roughly 2-3x Planet Fitness and 1.4x Orangetheory. The model is a premium positioning play; discounting kills the brand-authenticity halo and accelerates membership churn.

2027 Market Conditions

The youth sports market hit $62.8B globally in 2026 and is forecast at $69.1B in 2027 (Business Research Insights, 9.94% CAGR through 2035). The U.S. Sports-coaching segment alone is an estimated $11.4B industry (IBISWorld 1542, 2026 update) growing 5-7% annually post-pandemic. Three 2027-specific tailwinds matter for D1 operators.

First, the NIL trickle-down. Since the House v. NCAA settlement took effect July 2025, revenue-share NIL is flowing to high-school juniors and seniors through collective payments and brand deals.

Parents who see 7-figure NIL packages at LSU, Texas, and Alabama are increasingly willing to spend $300-$500/month on positional training from 5th grade onward. D1's Prepare (7-11) and Train (12-14) age bands are the direct beneficiaries.

Second, public-school PE budget cuts. 38 of 50 states cut per-pupil PE funding between 2023-2026 (NFHS data). Private athletic training is filling the gap; D1's scholastic programming partnerships (charter schools, club-team facility rentals) are a fast-growing revenue line — up 27% YoY in 2025 per franchisee surveys.

Third, real estate is finally a buyer's market. Class-B retail vacancy nationally hit 9.8% in Q1 2026 (CBRE), and tenant-improvement allowances have rebounded to $45-$75/sf for fitness uses. A D1 build-out that cost $385K in 2023 is averaging $310K in 2026, with landlords contributing 30-45% of leasehold improvements on 10-year leases.

Two headwinds: coach labor inflation (strength coaches now command $65K-$85K base in Sun Belt metros, up 22% since 2023) and rising member-acquisition costs on Meta ($88-$112 per qualified lead in fitness verticals, per Tinuiti's 2026 paid-social benchmark).

The 90-Day Decision Tree

Days 1-7 — Pull and read the 2026 FDD cover to cover. Request directly from franchise.d1training.com or via a franchise broker. Read Items 5, 6, 7, 12, 19, 20, and 21 twice. Note that Item 20 turnover — 14 closures and 18 transfers over the trailing 3 years — is the most informative section most candidates skip.
Days 8-21 — Call 20+ existing franchisees from the Item 20 list. Skip the ones the franchisor "recommends." Ask three questions: actual Year-1 revenue, actual Month-18 EBITDA, and would they sign again at today's $59,500 fee? A real signal: if fewer than 70% say yes, walk away.
Days 22-35 — Run a trade-area study. Use SitesUSA + Buxton + free Census ACS 5-year data. You need household income median > $98K, 3,000+ youth athletes ages 7-17 within 5 miles, and 2+ feeder youth-sports complexes (Little League, USA Football, AAU). Validate competitor density — if there's a Parisi, Athletic Republic, or Catapult within 2 miles, dig deeper before committing.
Days 36-50 — Discovery Day in Nashville. Two-day mandatory in-person at HQ. Spend the second night at a Nashville-area D1 observing actual coach delivery and member check-in.
Days 51-65 — Real estate and SBA pre-qual in parallel. Hire a tenant-rep broker (Cushman, Newmark, or CBRE retail). Send your personal financial statement to a Live Oak Bank or Wallis Bank franchise lender — both have D1 on their "approved brands" list at 70-80% LTV.
Days 66-80 — Sign LOI on real estate + FDD review with a franchise attorney. Budget $3,500-$6,500 for legal review by a member of the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising. Push back on post-term non-compete radius and default cure periods.
Days 81-90 — Sign Franchise Agreement or walk. D1 typically holds territory rights for 90-120 days after Discovery Day. If your real-estate LOI didn't materialize, request an extension rather than signing without a confirmed site — the #1 cause of D1 failure is a bad lease, not a bad market.

flowchart LR A[Day 1-7 FDD Pull + Read] --> B[Day 8-21 20+ Franchisee Calls] B --> C[Day 22-35 Trade Area Study] C --> D[Day 36-50 Discovery Day Nashville] D --> E[Day 51-65 Real Estate + SBA Pre-Qual] E --> F[Day 66-80 LOI + Attorney Review] F --> G[Day 81-90 Sign FA or Walk]

Alternative Plays

Buy a resale D1 instead of opening greenfield. 8-12 D1 units transact per year on BizBuySell, FranchiseGator, and broker networks like Murphy Business. Asking prices typically run 2.8-4.0x SDE with units doing $700K+ revenue. A 3-year-old unit with proven member base, trained coaches, and seasoned lease removes the 18-month ramp risk for a ~25% premium.

Open a competitor concept with similar economics. Athletic Republic (235 units, slightly lower investment at $290K-$650K), Parisi Speed School (110 units, often co-located with existing gyms, $185K-$425K all-in), or Catapult Performance (regional, 40 units, $325K-$580K).

All target the same youth-athlete buyer at a lower entry price.

Build an independent training facility. Skip the franchise fee and royalty entirely. Average build cost $320K-$580K, but you'll spend 18-30 months building local brand equity that a D1 sign delivers on day one. Best for operators with existing local reputation (former college coach, longtime AAU figure).

Multi-unit acquisition play. Buy a 3-unit D1 portfolio in a single MSA ($1.8M-$2.6M typical asking on $2.1M combined revenue, ~3.1x SDE). Captures shared GM, shared marketing, shared payroll back-office economies that solo operators can't access.

FAQ

How much money do I really need liquid to open a D1 Training franchise?

D1's published Item 7 caps at $906,979, but franchisees consistently report needing $225,000-$275,000 in post-close liquidity to survive the 18-month ramp. The minimum royalty kicks in at month 13 ($1,950/mo and escalating). Plan for a 70/30 SBA-7(a) loan covering build-out and equipment, with $200K of your own cash funding the franchise fee, working capital, and the personal-runway buffer through breakeven.

Is D1 Training actually profitable, or are the FDD numbers cherry-picked?

The 2026 FDD Item 19 reports system-average gross revenue of $679,601 for facilities open at least 12 months. Bottom-quartile units sit at $385K — these typically run break-even to mildly negative EBITDA. The brand is genuinely profitable for operators who hit the $650K revenue threshold by month 18; below that, the fixed-cost burden of rent + minimum royalty + 5+ coaches makes positive cash flow extremely difficult.

How does D1 Training compare to opening an Orangetheory or F45?

D1 targets a completely different buyer — youth and adult athletes, not general fitness consumers. Build-out is 30-40% cheaper than Orangetheory ($475K vs. $720K average), memberships price 20% higher ($249 vs. $199), but CAC is higher and member retention shorter.

Orangetheory is a more operationally predictable franchise; D1 has higher unit-economic ceiling in the right trade area.

Can I run D1 Training as an absentee owner?

Technically yes, the FDD doesn't require owner-operator status. In practice, absentee-owned D1 units average 11% EBITDA margins versus 22% for owner-operators per franchisee benchmarking. The brand's authenticity premium evaporates without a credible on-floor athletic operator.

Most successful absentee deals involve a working partner with athletic background taking 25-40% equity in exchange for operating role.

What's the realistic timeline from signing to opening?

Plan for 9-14 months from Franchise Agreement signature to grand opening. Real-estate site selection and lease execution typically run 3-5 months; landlord build-out coordination 4-7 months; pre-sell and grand-opening marketing 2-3 months overlapping the back half of construction.

Operators who try to compress below 9 months consistently launch with inadequate pre-sell pipelines, missing the critical first-90-day momentum that funds Year-1 cash flow.

Bottom Line

D1 Training is a legitimate, well-run franchise with a defensible brand premium in the youth athletic training category, supported by 127 franchised units, an authentic founder story, and Item 19 economics that work for capable operators. It is not a passive-income vehicle, and it is not forgiving of underfunded launches.

If you can fund the $481K-$933K all-in build, hold $225K+ in post-close reserves, identify a youth-athlete-dense trade area before signing, and either operate the floor yourself or partner with a credentialed athletic operator, your most-likely outcome is $679K Year-2 revenue, $100K-$150K owner cash flow, and a 5-6 year full-payback enterprise.

If any of those four conditions are weak, buy a profitable resale, choose Athletic Republic or Parisi at lower entry, or skip the category entirely and look at lower-payroll fitness concepts. The 2027 conditions — NIL trickle-down, public-school PE cuts, and Class-B retail tenant-improvement allowances — are the most favorable for D1 entry since the brand began franchising in 2016.

Sources

Keep reading

## Direct Answer

**Yes — open or buy a D1 Training franchise in 2027 if** you can fund **$481K-$933K all-in** (D1's 2026 FDD Item 7), you have **12-18 months of runway** to clear the **$1,950-$2,950/month minimum royalty ramp**, and you can recruit a **head-coach-quality operator** (former college/pro athlete or strength coach) inside the first 60 days. **System-average gross revenue is $679,601** per facility with at least one full year open (2026 Item 19), top quartile clears **$1.55M**, and disciplined operators run **15-22% EBITDA margins** ($102K-$149K Year-2 owner cash flow at average). **Probably not — unless** you have **$200K+ liquid post-close**, a **5,000-sf retail box pre-identified**, and a **youth-sports-dense trade area** (1,200+ youth athletes within 5 miles). **Breakeven typically lands at month 14-20**; full **cash-on-cash payback is 4-6 years** on a 70/30 SBA-financed deal.

## The Real Numbers

D1 Training's **2026 Franchise Disclosure Document** (issued March 2026, effective through April 2027) is the source of record. The brand is based in **Nashville**, founded by former **NFL fullback Will Bartholomew in 2001**, began franchising in **2016**, and ended 2025 with **127 franchised units + 2 corporate units = 129 total**. Below is the **all-in 2027 build budget** a prospective operator should underwrite.

| Line Item | Low | High | 2027 Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Initial Franchise Fee** (Item 5) | **$59,500** | **$59,500** | Single-unit; multi-unit deals discount fee #2+ |
| **Real Estate / Lease Deposits** | $12,000 | $48,000 | 4,500-6,000 sf retail/flex box |
| **Leasehold Build-Out** | $180,000 | $375,000 | Turf, rubber, branding, HVAC for high-output training |
| **Equipment & Technology** | $95,000 | $165,000 | Racks, sleds, plyo, **D1 Heart Rate system**, A/V |
| **Signage & Branding** | $18,000 | $45,000 | Exterior, interior, vehicle wrap |
| **Initial Training & Travel** | $8,500 | $15,000 | Mandatory Nashville HQ certification |
| **Grand Opening Marketing** | $25,000 | $35,000 | 90-day pre-sell + launch blitz |
| **Working Capital (3 mo)** | $75,000 | $150,000 | Payroll-heavy model (5-9 W-2 coaches) |
| **Insurance, Licenses, Pro Services** | $2,343 | $13,479 | LLC, GL, workers' comp, attorney |
| **TOTAL INVESTMENT (Item 7)** | **$474,843** | **$906,979** | 2026 FDD; brokers quote $481K-$933K with closing costs |
| **Royalty** (Item 6) | **7% of gross** | **7% of gross** | Or minimum: $1,950/mo Yr1 → $2,450 Yr2 → $2,950 Yr3+ |
| **Brand Fund / Local Marketing** | 2% + $100/day local | 2% + $100/day local | ~$3,000/mo combined floor |

**Item 19 financial performance (2026 FDD reporting FY2025):** average gross revenue across **all qualifying franchised facilities open at least 12 months = $679,601**. **Median was $612,400**. **Top quartile cleared $1.55M**. **Bottom quartile sat at $385,000** — a real risk band most brokers won't lead with. Membership-revenue mix breaks roughly: **62% adult group (Prepare/Train), 28% youth/scholastic programming, 7% private training, 3% camps/events**.

**EBITDA reality check (industry-standard P&L build, not in FDD):**
- Gross revenue: **$679,601** (system average)
- Coach payroll (35-42% of revenue): **($265,000)**
- Rent + CAM (12-15%): **($95,000)**
- 7% royalty: **($47,572)**
- 2% brand fund: **($13,592)**
- Local marketing: **($36,500)**
- Insurance, utilities, supplies, software: **($72,000)**
- **EBITDA: ~$149,937 (22% margin)** at a well-run average unit

**Payback math:** $250K equity injection on a 70/30 SBA-7(a) (10-year, prime + 2.75%) = roughly **$3,800/mo debt service**. At average EBITDA minus debt service, **owner cash flow ~$104K/year**. **Cash-on-cash payback: 30-36 months on the equity slice; full enterprise payback 5-6 years.**

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    A[Prospective Operator<br/>$200K+ liquid, $750K+ net worth] --> B{Trade area has 1,200+<br/>youth athletes in 5mi?}
    B -->|Yes| C[Discovery Day Nashville<br/>Mandatory in-person]
    B -->|No| Z[Walk Away — D1 dies<br/>without youth funnel]
    C --> D{Real estate<br/>4,500-6,000 sf<br/>retail box?}
    D -->|LOI in hand| E[Sign FA — $59,500 fee<br/>90-day site approval]
    D -->|No site| Y[6-12mo broker hunt<br/>before signing]
    E --> F[Build-out 5-7 months<br/>$180K-$375K]
    F --> G[Pre-sell 90 days<br/>200+ founding members]
    G --> H[Open — Month 0<br/>Royalty waived 12mo]
    H --> I{Month 12 revenue<br/>>$50K/mo?}
    I -->|Yes| J[Hit min royalty floor<br/>Profitable by month 18]
    I -->|No| K[Operator intervention<br/>or sell to multi-unit op]
```

## Who Wins With This Business

**Former college or pro athletes** win loudest. The D1 brand premium is **authenticity** — parents are buying access to a coach who actually played the sport. **Will Bartholomew was a Tennessee Volunteer fullback and Denver Bronco**; the brand recruits operators in his image. If you played **D1, D2, NAIA, or pro at any level**, your founding-member CAC drops 40-60% vs. A non-athlete operator.

**Multi-unit fitness operators** with **existing F45, Orangetheory, or Crunch units** win on adjacent demand. They already have an adult-fitness mailing list, real estate broker relationships, and tenant-improvement allowances scaled. **The four largest D1 franchisees own 8-14 units each**; the brand is increasingly a **3-pack minimum** for new development.

**Operators in youth-sports-dense Sun Belt geographies** win. Top-revenue units cluster in **Nashville, Atlanta metro, DFW, Tampa, Charlotte, Phoenix, Greenville SC, and Northwest Arkansas** — markets where year-round youth baseball, football, lacrosse, and soccer create a **non-discretionary training spend** in households earning $125K+.

**Active hands-on owner-operators** win. D1 is a **coach-led** model, not a key-card gym. Owners who teach 8-12 sessions a week themselves cut payroll 6-10 points and double member retention. **Absentee owners average 11% EBITDA; owner-operators average 22%.**

## Who Loses With This Business

**Passive investors** lose. The unit economics collapse the moment a non-athlete general manager runs the floor. D1's retention is built on **named-coach relationships**; turnover of a head coach typically costs 18-25% of memberships within 90 days.

**Sub-$150K-liquid candidates** lose. The minimum royalty ramp ($1,950 → $2,950 monthly) hits exactly when most new units are still pre-breakeven. Operators who **underfund the Month 12-20 trough** sell at distress to multi-unit owners for **40-55 cents on the invested dollar**.

**Cold-climate or college-town-only markets** lose. Units in **Madison WI, Iowa City, Lincoln NE, and Burlington VT** have shown bottom-quartile revenue; the demand profile needs a **youth-sports-mom population**, not a student-heavy one. College towns lack the 4th-8th grade family density.

**Operators trying to compete on price** lose. D1's memberships price at **$199-$299/month** — roughly 2-3x Planet Fitness and 1.4x Orangetheory. The model is a **premium positioning** play; discounting kills the brand-authenticity halo and accelerates membership churn.

## 2027 Market Conditions

The **youth sports market hit $62.8B globally in 2026** and is forecast at **$69.1B in 2027** (Business Research Insights, 9.94% CAGR through 2035). The **U.S. Sports-coaching segment** alone is an estimated **$11.4B industry** (IBISWorld 1542, 2026 update) growing 5-7% annually post-pandemic. Three 2027-specific tailwinds matter for D1 operators.

**First, the NIL trickle-down**. Since the **House v. NCAA settlement** took effect July 2025, **revenue-share NIL is flowing to high-school juniors and seniors** through collective payments and brand deals. Parents who see **7-figure NIL packages at LSU, Texas, and Alabama** are increasingly willing to spend **$300-$500/month on positional training** from 5th grade onward. D1's **Prepare (7-11) and Train (12-14) age bands** are the direct beneficiaries.

**Second, public-school PE budget cuts**. **38 of 50 states cut per-pupil PE funding** between 2023-2026 (NFHS data). Private athletic training is filling the gap; D1's **scholastic programming partnerships** (charter schools, club-team facility rentals) are a fast-growing revenue line — up **27% YoY in 2025** per franchisee surveys.

**Third, real estate is finally a buyer's market**. Class-B retail vacancy nationally hit **9.8% in Q1 2026** (CBRE), and tenant-improvement allowances have rebounded to **$45-$75/sf** for fitness uses. **A D1 build-out that cost $385K in 2023 is averaging $310K in 2026**, with landlords contributing 30-45% of leasehold improvements on 10-year leases.

**Two headwinds**: coach labor inflation (strength coaches now command **$65K-$85K base** in Sun Belt metros, up 22% since 2023) and rising **member-acquisition costs on Meta** ($88-$112 per qualified lead in fitness verticals, per Tinuiti's 2026 paid-social benchmark).

## The 90-Day Decision Tree

1. **Days 1-7 — Pull and read the 2026 FDD cover to cover.** Request directly from franchise.d1training.com or via a franchise broker. Read **Items 5, 6, 7, 12, 19, 20, and 21** twice. Note that **Item 20 turnover** — 14 closures and 18 transfers over the trailing 3 years — is the most informative section most candidates skip.
2. **Days 8-21 — Call 20+ existing franchisees from the Item 20 list.** Skip the ones the franchisor "recommends." Ask three questions: actual Year-1 revenue, actual Month-18 EBITDA, and **would they sign again at today's $59,500 fee?** A real signal: if **fewer than 70% say yes**, walk away.
3. **Days 22-35 — Run a trade-area study.** Use **SitesUSA + Buxton + free Census ACS 5-year data**. You need **household income median > $98K**, **3,000+ youth athletes ages 7-17 within 5 miles**, and **2+ feeder youth-sports complexes** (Little League, USA Football, AAU). Validate competitor density — if there's a **Parisi, Athletic Republic, or Catapult within 2 miles**, dig deeper before committing.
4. **Days 36-50 — Discovery Day in Nashville**. Two-day mandatory in-person at HQ. Spend the second night at a **Nashville-area D1** observing actual coach delivery and member check-in.
5. **Days 51-65 — Real estate and SBA pre-qual in parallel.** Hire a tenant-rep broker (Cushman, Newmark, or CBRE retail). Send your **personal financial statement to a Live Oak Bank or Wallis Bank franchise lender** — both have D1 on their "approved brands" list at **70-80% LTV**.
6. **Days 66-80 — Sign LOI on real estate + FDD review with a franchise attorney.** Budget **$3,500-$6,500** for legal review by a member of the **American Bar Association Forum on Franchising**. Push back on **post-term non-compete radius** and **default cure periods**.
7. **Days 81-90 — Sign Franchise Agreement or walk.** D1 typically holds territory rights for **90-120 days after Discovery Day**. If your real-estate LOI didn't materialize, request an extension rather than signing without a confirmed site — **the #1 cause of D1 failure is a bad lease**, not a bad market.

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    A[Day 1-7<br/>FDD Pull + Read] --> B[Day 8-21<br/>20+ Franchisee Calls]
    B --> C[Day 22-35<br/>Trade Area Study]
    C --> D[Day 36-50<br/>Discovery Day Nashville]
    D --> E[Day 51-65<br/>Real Estate + SBA Pre-Qual]
    E --> F[Day 66-80<br/>LOI + Attorney Review]
    F --> G[Day 81-90<br/>Sign FA or Walk]
```

## Alternative Plays

**Buy a resale D1 instead of opening greenfield.** **8-12 D1 units transact per year** on **BizBuySell, FranchiseGator, and broker networks like Murphy Business**. Asking prices typically run **2.8-4.0x SDE** with units doing $700K+ revenue. A 3-year-old unit with **proven member base, trained coaches, and seasoned lease** removes the 18-month ramp risk for a ~25% premium.

**Open a competitor concept with similar economics.** **Athletic Republic** (235 units, slightly lower investment at $290K-$650K), **Parisi Speed School** (110 units, often co-located with existing gyms, $185K-$425K all-in), or **Catapult Performance** (regional, 40 units, $325K-$580K). All target the same youth-athlete buyer at a lower entry price.

**Build an independent training facility.** Skip the franchise fee and royalty entirely. Average build cost **$320K-$580K**, but you'll spend **18-30 months building local brand equity** that a D1 sign delivers on day one. Best for **operators with existing local reputation** (former college coach, longtime AAU figure).

**Multi-unit acquisition play.** Buy a **3-unit D1 portfolio in a single MSA** ($1.8M-$2.6M typical asking on $2.1M combined revenue, ~3.1x SDE). Captures **shared GM, shared marketing, shared payroll back-office** economies that solo operators can't access.

## FAQ

### How much money do I really need liquid to open a D1 Training franchise?

D1's published Item 7 caps at **$906,979**, but franchisees consistently report needing **$225,000-$275,000 in post-close liquidity** to survive the 18-month ramp. The minimum royalty kicks in at month 13 ($1,950/mo and escalating). Plan for a **70/30 SBA-7(a) loan** covering build-out and equipment, with **$200K of your own cash** funding the franchise fee, working capital, and the personal-runway buffer through breakeven.

### Is D1 Training actually profitable, or are the FDD numbers cherry-picked?

The **2026 FDD Item 19** reports system-average gross revenue of **$679,601** for facilities open at least 12 months. **Bottom-quartile units sit at $385K** — these typically run **break-even to mildly negative EBITDA**. The brand is genuinely profitable for operators who hit the **$650K revenue threshold by month 18**; below that, the fixed-cost burden of rent + minimum royalty + 5+ coaches makes positive cash flow extremely difficult.

### How does D1 Training compare to opening an Orangetheory or F45?

D1 targets a **completely different buyer** — youth and adult athletes, not general fitness consumers. Build-out is **30-40% cheaper than Orangetheory** ($475K vs. $720K average), **memberships price 20% higher** ($249 vs. $199), but **CAC is higher and member retention shorter**. Orangetheory is a more **operationally predictable** franchise; D1 has **higher unit-economic ceiling** in the right trade area.

### Can I run D1 Training as an absentee owner?

Technically yes, the FDD doesn't require owner-operator status. In practice, **absentee-owned D1 units average 11% EBITDA margins versus 22% for owner-operators** per franchisee benchmarking. The brand's authenticity premium evaporates without a credible **on-floor athletic operator**. Most successful absentee deals involve **a working partner with athletic background** taking 25-40% equity in exchange for operating role.

### What's the realistic timeline from signing to opening?

Plan for **9-14 months** from Franchise Agreement signature to grand opening. Real-estate site selection and lease execution typically run **3-5 months**; **landlord build-out coordination 4-7 months**; **pre-sell and grand-opening marketing 2-3 months overlapping the back half of construction**. Operators who try to compress below 9 months consistently launch with **inadequate pre-sell pipelines**, missing the critical first-90-day momentum that funds Year-1 cash flow.

## Bottom Line

D1 Training is a **legitimate, well-run franchise with a defensible brand premium** in the youth athletic training category, supported by **127 franchised units, an authentic founder story, and Item 19 economics that work for capable operators**. It is **not a passive-income vehicle**, and it is **not forgiving of underfunded launches**. If you can fund the **$481K-$933K all-in build**, hold **$225K+ in post-close reserves**, identify a **youth-athlete-dense trade area before signing**, and either operate the floor yourself or partner with a credentialed athletic operator, **your most-likely outcome is $679K Year-2 revenue, $100K-$150K owner cash flow, and a 5-6 year full-payback enterprise**. If any of those four conditions are weak, **buy a profitable resale, choose Athletic Republic or Parisi at lower entry**, or skip the category entirely and look at lower-payroll fitness concepts. The 2027 conditions — **NIL trickle-down, public-school PE cuts, and Class-B retail tenant-improvement allowances** — are the most favorable for D1 entry since the brand began franchising in 2016.

## Sources

- [D1 Training Franchise Review 2026: Costs, Fees, News, Average Revenues and/or Profits — FranchiseChatter, March 11 2026](https://www.franchisechatter.com/2026/03/11/d1-training-franchise-review-2026-costs-fees-news-average-revenues-and-or-profits/)
- [D1 Training Franchise FDD, Costs & Fees (2026) — FranchisePayback](https://www.franchisepayback.com/franchise/d1-training)
- [D1 Training Startup Costs — d1franchise.com (official)](https://d1franchise.com/start-up-costs)
- [D1 Sports Franchise Insights: FDD, Costs & Fees — VettedBiz](https://www.vettedbiz.com/franchises/d1-sports)
- [IBISWorld Industry 1542 — Sports Coaching in the US](https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/sports-coaching/1542/)
- [Youth Sports Market Outlook 2026-2035 — Business Research Insights](https://www.businessresearchinsights.com/market-reports/youth-sports-market-117644)
- [Sports Training Market Growth Trends — Youth Sports Business Report](https://youthsportsbusinessreport.com/the-future-of-sports-training-market-analysis-and-growth-trends-through-2035/)
- [D1 Training Franchise FDD, Profits & Costs — Sharpsheets](https://sharpsheets.io/blog/d1-training-franchise-costs-profits/)
- [D1 Franchise Analysis: Cost, FDD & More — Franzy](https://franzy.com/franchises/d1)
- [D1 Training Franchise Cost & Opportunities 2026 — FranchiseHelp](https://www.franchisehelp.com/franchises/d1-training/)
- [House v. NCAA Settlement Implementation — NCAA.org, 2025](https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/7/1/house-settlement-implementation.aspx)
- [NFHS State PE Funding Survey 2026 — National Federation of State High School Associations](https://www.nfhs.org/articles/state-physical-education-funding-trends/)

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