Coral Springs travel soccer contract bidding unfolds during lawsuit drama
Two contenders for Coral Springs’ lucrative travel soccer program contract have been locked in a legal battle for months.
Amid allegations of theft and coercion, one program made it to the city’s selection committee. The other, falling just short, did not.
In January, a company affiliated with Fort Lauderdale United Football Club filed a lawsuit against longtime regional leader Sunrise Prime Football Club alleging an attempt to avoid payments to a former co-owner.
Prime says it’s an attempt at a hostile takeover for the club’s prestigious licenses.
Here’s what to know.
How did Fort Lauderdale United’s lawsuit happen?
The plaintiffs’ narrative begins in December 2024, when Alan Hough sold his 50% stake of Sunrise Prime back to the corporation — and, by extension, his former business partner Andres Camacho. At that time, his share was estimated to be worth $1.98 million.
The parties reached an agreement: Hough would receive a $48,000 wire transfer, and a promissory note for $1,932,000, plus interest. The note would be paid in varying monthly installments over about 15 years.
Filings indicate that the first few months of the agreement were amicable, but the plaintiffs allege that in spring 2025, Sunrise Prime stopped making the payments.
Prime’s lawyers say that the company was justified in ceasing payments to Hough, and stated that he had intentionally held roughly $150,000 of Prime’s money and did not return it after leaving the company.
On Aug. 1, 2025, Hough transferred his rights to the repayment to FTL UTD Holdings, a company linked to the professional soccer team of the same name, the Fort Lauderdale United. By this time, Sunrise Prime owed the plaintiffs just under $100,000.
According to court records, negotiations began on Aug. 15, when an official from Sunrise Prime offered to pay that debt in full. FTL UTD representatives declined the offer, and stated that the entire remaining balance — about $2 million — was due immediately.
In September, documents show, Sunrise Prime made its second offer via email: FTL UTD could have Hough’s 50% share back, and Sunrise Prime would rebrand the club under Fort Lauderdale United.
It appears that FTL UTD did not respond to the offer.
What are lawyers saying?
Court filings pick up again in December, when FTL UTD hired Savage Capital Consulting to file a formal lawsuit to collect the debt.
Attorneys for Sunrise Prime responded with allegations that Savage was “attempting to bully [Prime] into an unwanted partnership to obtain a license for a youth soccer league by attempting to undo a stock redemption agreement Savage is not party to and whose rights are not assignable.”
According to its website, Sunrise Prime is the only club in South Florida to hold an Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) license — one of the most prestigious leagues in American youth soccer — for both boys’ and girls’ teams. Many families will pay five-figure sums for a child to compete at this level, increasing the value of an ECNL-licensed program.
In March, Savage leveled a new charge: The people behind Sunrise Prime had created a new company, Athletic Club Foundation Inc., to transfer its high-value league licenses, gutting Sunrise Prime and leaving nothing for its creditors to collect.
While the Athletic Club Foundation was established within this timeframe, the connection between the lawsuit and the merger are unclear. According to its website, ACF combines five clubs from the tri-county area. This includes Sunrise Prime.
Savage Capital attorneys used the Coral Springs travel soccer contract as key evidence in their motion, alleging that ACF’s bid was evidence that the company was already working to legitimize itself. Attorneys requested an emergency injunction freezing Sunrise Prime’s assets.
Attorneys for Sunrise Prime have not filed a formal response to these allegations and have requested multiple extensions, lasting through last week. The outcome of the case is uncertain.
What’s next?
Although both Fort Lauderdale United and the Athletic Club Foundation submitted bids for the Coral Springs Youth Soccer contract, only Fort Lauderdale United made it to the final round.
Fort Lauderdale United, along with RLC Management (the group behind Springs Soccer Club) and Parkland Travel Soccer, will present their best arguments in front of the selection committee on Tuesday, April 28.
The committee will then select one proposal to submit to the City Commission for final approval on May 6.
