Varsity Brands to Buy Soccer.com and Lax.com
Varsity Brands, the cheerleading-equipment company backed by KKR, is buying online lacrosse retailer Lax.com and Sports Endeavors, the holding company that owns Soccer.com, according to four people familiar with the situation.
The acquisitions come just months after Varsity Brands boosted a $2.4 billion loan by about $400 million to fund the acquisition of an unnamed sports retailer, as Sportico reported. At the time, Moody’s said the then-unidentified target sold uniforms, apparel and equipment to private club teams in the U.S. but is mainly focused on soccer-related products.
Varsity Brands’ purchase of Sports Endeavors is valued at $300 million to $400 million, said one of the people, who were granted anonymity because the details are private. In addition to owning Soccer.com, Sports Endeavors, based in Hillsborough, N.C., owns World Soccer Shop and 431 Sports.
The value of Lax.com’s sale to Varsity Brands is unclear.
Mike Moylan and his brother Brendan founded the company that would become known as Sports Endeavors while they were still in high school. In 1984, the Moylans produced their first Eurosport soccer catalog with a mailing list of 6,000 people. They registered the Soccer.com domain 10 years later, in 1994. Sports Endeavors has more than 500 employees, according to a post on LinkedIn. Mike Moylan is the CEO of Sports Endeavors while Brendan is COO.
Seawall Capital, a consumer-focused private equity firm, acquired a majority of Sports Endeavors in 2022. Graham Capital Investments, the investment platform of the Graham Group, is also an investor.
Retail was once one of the hottest sectors of private equity, but the ascent of Amazon and the growth of ecommerce spurred many PE firms to exit the space. But Soccer.com and Lax.com are expected to expand Varsity Brands’ holdings in the thriving youth sports sector.
Soccer.com is one of biggest specialty online retailers in the youth soccer market, selling cleats, soccer balls and jerseys. It is also a leading provider of team uniforms to youth soccer clubs and academies in the U.S. The company generated $117.6 million in online sales last year, according to Grips Intelligence, which provides information on online retailers.
The smaller Lax.com is a top specialty online retailer that focuses on lacrosse, one of the fastest-growing youth sports in the U.S. Founded in 2000, Lax.com sells lacrosse apparel and equipment, like sticks, cleats and headgear. Norwalk, Conn.-based Lax.com has 45 employees, CEO John Arrix said in his LinkedIn profile. The company produced $2.3 million in online annual revenue in 2025, Grips Intelligence said.
In 2010, a consortium led by Peter Hopper, ex-CEO of DH Capital and a former partner of Abry Partners, and Bill Luby, founding partner of private equity firm Seaport Capital, acquired Lax.com. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The acquisitions of Soccer.com and Lax.com are the first for Varsity Brands since it was acquired by KKR in 2024 for $4.5 billion. Varsity Brands provides sports, cheerleading and achievement related products in the U.S. Last month, Jeff Webb, the entrepreneur who founded Varsity Brands, died after suffering a head injury during a pickleball game, Sportico reported.
KKR has been expanding its sports holdings. In February, the alternative asset manager, agreed to buy sports-focused private equity firm Arctos Partners for $1.4 billion in cash and equity.
KKR and Luby declined comment. Messages to Sports Endeavors, Seawell, Graham Capital, the Moylan brothers and Hopper were not returned.
