In the midst of a tough season on and off the field, the Tulsa Roughnecks are on the verge of a potential change of fate.



On Tuesday, The Athletic understands that the USL Championship club will announce that it has been purchased by local businessmen and siblings J.W., Ryan, and Kyle Craft. The trio are the sons of Joseph Craft III, a Tulsa native and a giant of the coal industry as President, CEO, and Director of Alliance Resource Partners, which is headquartered in Tulsa.



The financial specifics of this takeover were not disclosed. However, a USL spokesperson confirmed that the recent average price of a USL Championship club on the secondary market is between $15-$20 million.



In order to meet USSF requirements (which spell out the need for “one principal owner with a controlling interest who owns at least 35% of the team”), J.W. Craft will serve as the leading partner.



“We care deeply about the community,” he told The...