New U.S. Soccer National Training Center Opens In Georgia

BusinessSportsMoneyNew U.S. Soccer National Training Center Opens In GeorgiaByTim Newcomb,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Tim Newcomb covers tennis gear/business, stadiums and shoe tech.Follow AuthorMay 07, 2026, 11:00am EDTThe back side of the new U.S. Soccer National Training Center outside of Atlanta. U.S. Soccer/Garrett RowlandFor the first time in the 113-year history of the U.S. Soccer Federation the nonprofit owns a blade of grass. And it isn’t just one. U.S. Soccer cut the ribbon May 7 on the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center, a 200-acre complex outside of Atlanta featuring the group’s headquarters, 17 outdoor playing surfaces and a 200,000-square-foot indoor space. This is the first time U.S. Soccer has had all its functions—from staff headquarters to its entire training and educational center to the home for every one of its 27 national teams, including its extended teams for disabled players—at one site, a massive undertaking that sent the federation scouring the country for the perfect location and then the right design to make it happen. “We are trying to bring the entire soccer ecosystem together,” Tom Norton, general manager of the center, tells me. “It is not just a training facility.” The understated lobby for the U.S. Soccer National Training Center is meant to evoke a timeless feel.U.S. Soccer/Garrett RowlandPreviously based in Chicago, the move near the Town at Trilith mixed-use community south of Atlanta and about 20 minutes from the Atlanta airport will house roughly 400 staff members. When searching for a location, the federation looked for a place that could host soccer play year-round, was easy to travel to from throughout the U.S. and the world, enjoyed buy-in from the local community and offered the structure to support families of staff. With the donation of the land by Chick-fil-A chairman and Trilith Studios founder Dan Cathy and an additional $50 million in funding fr...