The National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States. The league began play in 2019 and is aiming to be in the third tier of American soccer. 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. The league went on hiatus during the 2025 season but plans to resume play in fall 2026.
History League beginnings
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. 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); however, the NASL ceased operations prior to those plans being implemented.
On February 13, 2018, NISA co-founder Jack Cummins passed away suddenly. 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. A committee of club owners was formed to elect new leadership within the organization.
Reorganization and start of play On August 31, 2018, NISA filed an application with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) for sanctioning as a men's professional league, playing at the third division. On February 16, 2019, NISA received provisionally Division III sanctioning.
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. However, it was unclear whether either of the teams would start before the league's September start date. 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. 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.
The inaugural season began on August 31, 2019, with a 3–3 draw for Oakland Roots SC and California United Strikers FC in Oakland. On April 27, 2020, following previous postponements, the remainder of the 2019–20 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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. 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.
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. The tournament and 15 participating teams were announced on July 1.
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. 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. On November 23, NISA announced a fourth agreement with the Mountain Premier League.
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. 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.
The league announced an "alliance" with semi-professional women's soccer league United Women's Soccer on January 28, 2021, 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, Michigan Stars FC, and NJ Teamsterz FC field or had announced fielding UWS and UWS2 teams.
In December 2024, several sources reported that NISA was not given professional sanctioning for the 2025 season, though the league would later dispute these claims. The league later announced the 2025 NISA Pro Cup tournament to be held in the fall as part of the league's application for continued USSF sanctioning, with the intention of returning to a full season in 2026. The tournament consisted of eight teams from six leagues, including Capo FC and Los Angeles Force of NISA. The group stage was held between October 13 and 17, with the semifinals held on October 19 and the finals on October 21. All games were played Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan.
On July 21, 2025, Matt Morse, previously the managing director of NISA Nation, was appointed CEO of NISA. Two days later, retired American soccer player Chandler Hoffman was appointed league commissioner.
2026 reorganization and expansion efforts In 2026, NISA announced organizational changes and strategic initiatives as part of an effort to seek renewed professional sanctioning from the USSF. The league expanded its leadership structure alongside chief executive officer Matt Morse and Commissioner Chandler Hoffman through a strategic partnership with RML Advisory Group. The group's leadership included Rob Lubin, who serves as president of NISA, and Harrison Krepack, who was appointed chief marketing officer to oversee communications, partnerships, and media initiatives.
According to the league, the partnership was intended to strengthen internal coordination, improve communication with member clubs, and support the league's commercial and operational planning ahead of a proposed return to professional play. The announcement also emphasized a more centralized marketing and communications strategy aimed at attracting new clubs and commercial partners.
As part of its restructuring efforts, NISA began recruiting prospective ownership groups and clubs with the goal of relaunching professional competition. The league indicated that it was targeting approximately 10 to 12 teams for a proposed return to professional play beginning in the fall of 2026. , no details for the proposed season have been announced.
Teams Current teams
Team City Stadium Capacity Founded First season Head coach Club de Lyon Orlando, Florida Showalter Field 2,000 2022 2023 Hector AlmandozGeorgia FC Atlanta Silverbacks Park 5,000 2024 2024 Kerem Daser Boyds, Maryland Maryland SoccerPlex 4,000 2016 2021 Alex Kao Michigan Stars FC Washington, Michigan Barnabo Field 4,000 1982 2020 Enis Dokovic Savannah Clovers FC Savannah, Georgia Memorial Stadium 5,000 2016 2023 David Proctor Arizona Monsoon FC Glendale, Arizona Matt O. Hanhila Field 8,000 2023 2024 Carlos Padilla (interim)Capo FC JSerra Catholic High School 2,9895,000 with temporary portable seats 2006 2024 Peter Carey Irvine Zeta FC Irvine, California Championship Soccer Stadium 5,000 2022 2024 Tyler Silva Los Angeles Force Long Beach, California Veterans Memorial Stadium 11,600 2019 2019 Dekel Keinan
Former teams
Team City Joined Final season Fate Atlanta SC Alpharetta, Georgia Fall 2019 Folded Bay Cities FC 2021 2022 Folded Irvine, California Fall 2019 2022 On hiatus Chattanooga FC Chattanooga, Tennessee 2020 2023 Moved to MLS Next Pro Bridgeview, Illinois Fall 2021 Moved to Midwest Premier League Detroit City FC Hamtramck, Michigan Fall 2021 Moved to USL Championship Flower City Union Rochester, New YorkAuburn, New York 2022 2023 Moved to National Premier Soccer League Miami FC Miami, Florida Fall 2019 Moved to USL Championship New Amsterdam FC Hempstead, New York 2020 2022 Folded New York Cosmos Uniondale, New York 2020 Folded; new iteration in USL League One Philadelphia Fury Fall 2019 Folded Oakland Roots SC Oakland, California Fall 2019 Fall 2020 Moved to USL Championship San Diego, California Fall 2019 Fall 2021 Merged with Albion SC San Diego Stumptown AC Matthews, North Carolina Fall 2019 Fall 2021 Folded Syracuse Pulse Syracuse, New York 2021 2022 Merged with Flower City Union and rebranded as Salt City Union Valley United FC Mesa, Arizona 2020 2022 Folded
Timeline Below are the teams that have historically participated in NISA. New teams for the 2026 Fall Season are to be announced in June.
Champions
NISA League Title number indicated in brackets ():
Ed. Season Champions Score Runner up Venue Date Ref. 2019–20 2020–21 Detroit City FC Los Angeles Force Keyworth Stadium 7,231 3 Jul 2021 2021 Detroit City FC California United Strikers 2022 Michigan Stars Albion San Diego Romeo Stadium 1,178 6 Nov 2022 2023Flower City Union Michigan Stars Romeo High School 1,016 11 Nov 2023 2024 Los Angeles Force Irvine Zeta FC Veterans Memorial Stadium 1,447 19 Oct 2024 Notes
NISA League titles by team Teams that no longer participate in the National Independent Soccer Association are in italics. Team Titles won Winning years Runners-up Runners-up years Detroit City FC 2020–21, 2021 – Los Angeles Force 2024 2020–21 Michigan Stars FC 2022 2023 Flower City Union 2023– Albion San Diego – 2022 California United Strikers – 2021 Irvine Zeta FC – 2024
NISA Pro Cup Champions SeasonChampionsScoreRunner upVenue AttendanceDate 2025Los Angeles Force4–1 Capo FCMichigan Stars Sports CenterOctober 21, 2025
NISA Independent Cup Champions
Year Great Lakes Midwest Central Plains/South Central SoutheastSouthernFlorida Mid-Atlantic/East New England/Northeast Empire Pacific Southwest West Coast SoCal 2020 Detroit City FCN/A Gaffa FC (GCPL) Chattanooga FCN/A Maryland Bobcats FC (NPSL)N/AN/A 2021 Detroit City FC Milwaukee Torrent (NPSL)Louisiana Krewe FC (GCPL) Chattanooga FC Maryland Bobcats FC Lansdowne Yonkers FC (EPSL)N/A PDX FC (USL2) California United Strikers FC Los Angeles Force2022 Michigan Stars FC N/A N/A Chattanooga FC Maryland Bobcats FC Flower City Union Syracuse Pulse Wenatchee All-Stars FC (Cascadia Premier League) Valley FC Raiders (NISA Nation) Los Angeles Force ASC San Diego2023Michigan Stars FCGold Star FCChattanooga FCSavannah Clovers FCClub de LyonMaryland Bobcats FCFlower City UnionN/ALos Angeles ForceN/AASC San Diego2024FC Milwaukee Torrent (NPSL)N/AClub de LyonN/AN/AMaryland Bobcats FCN/AIrvine Zeta FCLos Angeles ForceN/A
NISA Nation and affiliates
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.
See also NISA Nation United Soccer League, operator of several leagues in the US system, including: USL Championship, the current second level USL League One, also playing at the third level NPSL Members Cup Soccer in the United States Professional sports leagues in the United States
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