The National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States. The league is previously in the third tier of American soccer and began play in 2019.[1][2][3] NISA initially used a fall-to-spring season format with a winter break but have switched to spring-to-fall which is more common in the United States.[4] The league went on hiatus during the 2025 season but plans to resume play in 2026.
On June 6, 2017, it was announced that the newly formed National Independent Soccer Association would begin play in 2018 targeting an initial 8 to 10 teams, later revised to 8 to 12 teams.[5] Initially, the league outlined plans to introduce a promotion/relegation system, once they reach their goal of 24 teams, the first in US professional soccer and in doing so act as a feeder league to the North American Soccer League (NASL);[6][7] however, the NASL ceased operations prior to those plans being implemented.
On February 13, 2018, NISA co-founder Jack Cummins died suddenly.[8] On May 17, 2018, NISA co-founder Peter Wilt left the NISA to help start up Forward Madison FC in Madison, Wisconsin in USL League One.[9] A committee of club owners was formed to elect new leadership within the organization.[10]
Reorganization and start of play
On August 31, 2018, NISA filed an application with the United States Soccer Federation for sanctioning as a men's professional league, playing at the third division.[11] On February 16, 2019, NISA was provisionally sanctioned as a Division III league by the United States Soccer Federation.[12] In May 2019, it was announced that clubs were not happy with the silence from the league and that Bob Watkins was no longer the President of NISA and that John Prutch had taken the helm as commissioner.[3] During this same timeframe, the league's start date was pushed back from August 2019 to a targeted September start date.[3]
On June 10, 2019, it became known that both Miami FC and California United Strikers FC were approved at the recent board of governors meeting to join NISA, while the previously identified club in Central Florida would play in Baton Rouge, Louisiana instead of Daytona Beach, Florida.[13] However, it was unclear whether either of the teams would start before the league's September start date.[13] On June 27, 2019, it was announced that Oakland Roots SC would have their inaugural season with the league in the spring season, rather than the previously announced NPSL Founders Cup.[14] On August 15, 2019, the league officially announced the addition of Oakland Roots for the 2019 season and Chattanooga FC, Detroit City FC, and Michigan Stars FC for early 2020.[15]
On September 10, 2020, the league announced that one of the original co-founders of the league, Peter Wilt, would be rejoining the league in a club operations capacity by attempting to establish a club in Chicago.[18] On September 15, 2020, one of the founding teams, Oakland Roots, announced that they were leaving the league to join the USL Championship, a league in the second division of professional soccer.[19]
Development of the amateur and semi-professional game
On April 27, 2020, NISA revealed a new tournament called the NISA Independent Cup that would have member teams face off against high quality amateur and independent professional sides in a regional format.[20] The tournament and 15 participating teams were announced on July 1.[21]
NISA announced its first affiliation agreement with the Gulf Coast Premier League, a USASA affiliated amateur league based in the gulf coast of the United States, on August 13, 2020.[22][23] The partnership is set to provide a pathway to professional status for both clubs and players, while also allowing two GCPL teams to qualify for future editions of the Independent Cup based on league play. This was expanded to include the Midwest Premier League and Eastern Premier Soccer League on September 3 and 4, 2020, respectively.[24][25] On November 23, NISA announced a fourth agreement with the Mountain Premier League.[26]
On September 17, 2020, the league announced that it was establishing a full-year amateur league, the NISA Nation, that would serve as an incubator for amateur and semi-professional clubs that wish to move into NISA's professional league.[27] NISA stated that this full-season amateur league and its previously announced league affiliations would serve as the foundation of a fully open professional to amateur pyramid in the United States.[28]
The league announced an "alliance" with semi-professional women's soccer league United Women's Soccer on January 28, 2021,[29][30] with the target of launching a professional women's league in 2022. This proposed league would occupy the at the time vacant second tier of professional women's soccer in the United States. Many NISA clubs, including Detroit City FC,[31][32] Michigan Stars FC,[33] and NJ Teamsterz FC[34] field or had announced fielding UWS and UWS2 teams. However, on March 20, 2021, it was reported that the alliance had broken down and the leagues had gone their separate ways.[citation needed]
On December 2024, several websites reported that NISA was not given professional sanctioning for the 2025 season.[35] though the league would later dispute these claims.[36] The league later announced the NISA Pro Cup Tournament for the fall of 2025 as part of the league's application for continued USSF sanctioning, with the intention of returning to a full season in 2026.[37] On August 25, NISA announced the location and dates for the 2025 NISA Pro Cup tournament. The tournament will consist of a Group stage held between October 15 and 22, with the semifinals held on October 24 and the finals on October 26. All games will be played Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan.[38] As of the time of the announcement, eight clubs were confirmed for the tournament: NISA clubs Capo FC[39] and Los Angeles Force[40], DC Hyper of the UPSL[41], Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC of The League for Clubs[42], Arkansas Wolves FC of the NPSL[43], and Temecula FC[44], Sin City FC[45], and Modesto City FC of NISA Nation[46].
On July 21, 2025, Matt Morse, previously the Managing Director of NISA Nation, was appointed CEO of NISA.[47] Two days later, retired American soccer player Chandler Hoffman was appointed league commissioner.[48]
In addition to its professional division, NISA operates a full-season amateur league called NISA Nation. NISA's stated long-term goal is to have promotion and relegation between the professional division and NISA Nation, as well as between NISA Nation and seven affiliated regional leagues. Some of those affiliated leagues have entered into promotion and relegation agreements with other leagues, and so a pyramid can be constructed with NISA's Division III professional league at the top.[citation needed]
↑ "Schedule". Oaks FC. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
↑ "Financial Constraints Force NISA Club Bay Cities FC to Suspend Operations". nisasoccer.com. Chicago, IL. August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2025. Today the National Independent Soccer Association announced Bay Cities FC suspended operations for the balance of the 2022 season due to financial constraints
↑ "Club". mlsnextpro.com. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
↑ Chicago House AC (March 16, 2022). "Chicago House AC Joins Midwest Premier League". instagram.com. Chicago, IL. Retrieved August 6, 2025. Chicago House AC announced today that it has joined the Midwest Premier League (MWPL) for the 2022 season. Chicago House played its inaugural season in @NISAsoccer, a US Soccer sanctioned 3rd division professional league. The MWPL is a regional soccer league run by its members & affiliated with NISA
↑ Lewis, Michael (January 17, 2023). "A UNIQUE UNION: Flower City, Syracuse Pulse join forces as NISA team will play in both cities". frontrowsoccer.com. Retrieved August 6, 2025. Flower City Union and Syracuse Pulse have agreed to a unique merger prior to the National Independent Soccer Association season. The merged organizations will have one centralized front office and will host matches in the Rochester and Syracuse, N.Y. markets.
↑ "Update to NISA / VUFC Statement". nisaofficial.com. Chicago, IL. July 26, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2025. Due to the complexities and time involved with the current legal issues surrounding Valley United FC, NISA and VUFC have agreed that it would be best for Valley to suspend all operations for the balance of the 2022 season.
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