NISA Nation

Semi-pro American soccer league From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

NISA Nation is a semi-professional men's soccer league in the United States. The league is below the professional leagues in the United States soccer league system and began play in 2021. NISA Nation is affiliated with the former third tier professional league National Independent Soccer Association.[1][2]

Organizing bodyNISA
FoundedSeptember 17, 2020; 5 years ago (2020-09-17)
First season2021
CountryUnited States
Quick facts Organizing body, Founded ...
NISA Nation
Organizing bodyNISA
FoundedSeptember 17, 2020; 5 years ago (2020-09-17)
First season2021
CountryUnited States
ConfederationCONCACAF
(North American Football Union)
Divisions4
Number of clubs22
Domestic cupU.S. Open Cup
League cupNISA Independent Cup
International cup(s)CONCACAF Champions League
(via U.S. Open Cup)
Current champion(s)New York Greek American (1st title)
Most championshipsNoVa FC
New York Greek American
(1 title each)
Broadcaster(s)Eleven Sports
Websitenisanation.com
Current: 2025 NISA Nation season
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History

On August 25, 2021, Atlantic City FC was announced as the first club of the newly formed league.[3] Two weeks later, NISA Nation announced they had six teams for their inaugural season and they would play a 10-game schedule in the Northeast Region. This inaugural region included the leagues first promoted team, Steel Pulse FC from the Eastern Premier Soccer League.[4] In October 2021, NISA Nation announced the start of a second region. The Southwest Region was started with four teams, each team playing six games in a round robin format.[5] New Jersey Alliance FC beat New Amsterdam FC II 4–0 to secure the first regional championship for the Northeast Region.[6] In early January 2022, FC Golden State Force claimed the first Southwest Region championship.[7]

On January 6, 2022, it was announced that NISA Nation earned from the United States Adult Soccer Association the USASA provisional national league license, a license that gave recognition to the league and that opens the way to U.S. Open Cup spots directly from the league.[8] The Florida Region was announced in the Spring of 2022, with five teams facing each other three times in the Orlando area.[9] In addition to the Florida Region, NISA Nation announced that the Northeast Region's spring season would consist of eight clubs playing 10 games a piece. The defending champions New Jersey Alliance FC, returned to defend their title during the spring season.[10] In May 2022, the Pacific Region was announced with four teams, playing a 12-game schedule.[11] This brought the league to 23 teams for the Spring of 2022.[12] Each region crowned a champion for the 2022 NISA Nation season. The four champions were Club De Lyon (Florida Region), New Jersey Alliance FC (Northeast Region), Battleborn FC (Pacific Region), and Capo FC (Southwest Region).[13]

NISA Nation announced in early 2023 that the Southwest region would return for play in the spring with six clubs, including three previous clubs and three new clubs: AS Los Angeles, SC Union Maricopa, and Olympiacos CA.[14] In early 2023, NISA Nation announced the addition of the Pacific Division for the spring, with five teams committed and ten teams planned.[15] In July 2023, NISA Nation announced the formation of the Texas Region for fall 2023.[16] For the fall of 2023, NISA Nation ran three regional leagues; Pacific, Southwest, and Texas Regions.[17]

National Championship

In October 2023, NISA Nation announced that they would hold their inaugural National Championship, which would have three rounds to determine the national champions. Eligible to participate were the champions of the NISA Nation regions, as well as the champions of its affiliate leagues.[18] The two finalists, Northern Virginia FC and Las Vegas Legends, were both invited to promote to the third-tier NISA. The inaugural Championship represented the first opportunity for merit-based promotion to the professional level in the United States soccer league system.[19]

NISA Independent Cup

Teams from NISA Nation participated in the 36 team NISA Independent Cup in 2022.[20]

U.S. Open Cup

Clubs in NISA Nation can qualify for the U.S. Open Cup through the local qualifying route. Capo FC and Club de Lyon are the only two teams to qualify for the tournament proper, which they both did in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup.[21]

More information U.S. Open Cup Participation, Year ...
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Associations

NISA Nation is affiliated and plans to begin a pro-rel system with multiple leagues all over the country: the Cascadia Premier League[29] in Washington and Oregon, the Mountain Premier League in the Rocky Mountains region, and the Southwest Premier League in the southwestern United States, the Gulf Coast Premier League in the deep south, the Pioneer Premier League in Tennessee and Kentucky, the Midwest Premier League[30] in the states of Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin and Missouri. In 2023 reaffirmed their association with Cascadia Premier League, Mountain Premier League, and Southwest Premier League. This aligned all four leagues top division aside NISA Nation. This will continue to provide these leagues with slots in the NISA Independent Cup and began a new initiative that provided a national championship to be competed between NISA Nation Regional champions and league winners.[31] In August 2023, NISA Nation announced the association with Florida Gold Coast League.[32] In October 2023, NISA Nation announced their affiliation with Metroplex Premier League, an amateur league from North Texas.[33] In February 2024, NISA Nation announced the Upstate New York Region as the fourth region for the 2024 Spring season.[34] In January 2025, NISA Nation announced their plans for the 2025 season, which included continued affiliation for Cascadia Premier League, Metroplex Premier League, Mountain Premier League, and Southwest Premier League. In addition, NISA Nation announced that the Michigan Premier Lague would be a new affiliate for 2025.[35]

More information Level, League(s)/division(s) ...
Level League(s)/division(s)
3 National Independent Soccer Association
9 clubs
4 NISA Nation
Coast Region
NISA Nation
Southwest Region
NISA Nation
Tennessee Arkansas Region
NISA Nation
North Texas Region
5 Cascadia Premier League Southwest Premier League Metroplex Premier League Michigan Premier League Mountain Premier League
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Cascadia Premier League

More information Level, League(s)/division(s) ...
Level League(s)/division(s)
5 Cascadia Premier League Premier 1
Men's Premier League 1 - Baker Division
5 clubs
Cascadia Premier League Premier 1
Men's Premier League 1 - Rainier Division
5 clubs
6 Cascadia Premier League 2
Men's Premier 2 - Cascade Division
5 clubs
Cascadia Premier League 2
Men's Premier 2 - Pacific Division
4 clubs
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Metroplex Premier League

More information Level, League(s)/division(s) ...
Level League(s)/division(s)
5 Metroplex Blue League
8 clubs
6 Metroplex Red League
10 clubs
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Michigan Premier League

More information Level, League(s)/division(s) ...
Level League(s)/division(s)
5 Michigan Premier League
6 clubs
6 Michigan Open League
5 clubs
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Mountain Premier League

More information Level, League(s)/division(s) ...
Level League(s)/division(s)
5 Mountain Premier League
8 clubs
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Southwest Premier League

More information Level, League(s)/division(s) ...
Level League(s)/division(s)
5 Arizona Premier League

Men's Open Arizona
5 clubs

San Diego Baja MX Premier League

Men's Open San Diego
5 clubs

Enhancement Premier League

Men's Open

Nevada Premier League

Men's Open Nevada
6 clubs

Pacific Premier League

Men's Open Pacific
8 clubs

SoCal Premier League

Men's Open SoCal
10 clubs

6 SoCal Premier League

Coast Division
7 clubs

SoCal Premier League

LA IE
6 clubs

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Current teams

Southwest Region

More information Team, City ...
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Notes
  1. Previously played as Worldwide Problems FC


Location map

NISA Nation is located in the United States
Worldwide Problem
Worldwide Problem
Sin City FC
Sin City FC
STG Premier Pro
STG Premier Pro
NISA Nation clubs
Coast Region; Southwest Region;

Former teams

More information Team, City ...
Team City Stadium Founded First season Final season
Chula Vista FC Chula Vista, California Terra Nova Park 1982 2021 2021
New Amsterdam FC II New York, New York Orlin & Cohen Sports Complex 2020 2021 2021
New Jersey Teamsterz FC Bayonne, New Jersey Don Ahern Veterans Memorial Stadium 2017 2021 2021
Steel Pulse FC Baltimore, Maryland Blandair Regional Park West Playground 2019 2021 2021
Valley United FC U23 Scottsdale, Arizona GCU Stadium 2020 2021 2021
Athletico Orlando FC Orlando, Florida Northeast Regional Park 2017 2022 2022
Club de Lyon Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Stadium 2022 2023 2021
Deportivo Lake Mary Lake Mary, Florida Lake Mary High School 2017 2022 2021
Inter United FC Davenport, Florida Feltrim Sports Complex 1997 2022 2021
Winter Haven United FC Winter Haven, Florida Feltrim Sports Complex 2016 2022 2021
Alloy Soccer Club Lancaster, Pennsylvania 2022 2022
Aiolikos FC USA Rush Boston, Massachusetts Cawley Memorial Stadium 1975 2022 2022
Albion SC Delaware Middletown, Delaware DE Turf Sports Complex 2020 2021 2022
Allentown United FC Allentown, Pennsylvania Cedar Crest College 2018 2022 2022
Atlantic City FC Atlantic City, New Jersey Rowan University 2017 2021 2022
Boston Athletic SC Boston, Massachusetts Harry Della Russo Stadium 2005 2022 2022
New Jersey Alliance FC Clifton, New Jersey Newark Schools Stadium 2012 2021 2022
New York Braveheart SC New York City, New York Orlin and Cohen Sports Complex 2022 2022 2022
Union SC Union Township, New Jersey Volunteer Field 1984 2022 2022
AC Houston Sur Richmond, Texas Matias Almeyda Training Center 2021 2023 2023
AFC Solano[41] Fairfield, California Armijo High School 2020 2022 2023
AFC South Bay[42] San Jose, California Watson Park Soccer Fields 2021 2022 2023
FC Dallas Dynamo Dallas, Texas 2021 2023 2023
JASA FWC FC Redwood City, California Red Morton Park 1999 2023 2023
Lions United FC Montrose, California Glendale Sports Complex 2021 2023 2023
Lobos FC West Covina, California Hovley Soccer Park 2016 2023 2023
Matias Almeyda FC Houston, Texas Matias Almeyda Training Center 2019 2023 2023
Oaks FC Thousand Oaks, California California Lutheran University 1979 2022 2023
Ocelot FC Colton, California Colton High School Stadium 2021 2023 2023
Ocelot Stockton TLJ FC Stockton, California Edison High School 2021 2023 2023
San Francisco Elite Metro FC[41] San Francisco, California Negoesco Stadium 2017 2022 2023
San Francisco Elite Metro FC[41] San Francisco, California Negoesco Stadium 2017 2022 2023
Sporting ID11 Lake Forest, California Lake Forest Sports Complex 2021 2022 2023
Texas Premier Houston, Texas 2016 2023 2023
Windmill City FC Stockton, California 2022 2023 2023
Craq Intercontinental Salton City, California West Shores High School 2022 2024 2024
Desert FC[43] La Quinta, California Hovley Soccer Park 2020 2023 2024
SC Union Maricopa[44] Phoenix, Arizona Andess High School 2020 2022 2024
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Champions

National Championship

More information Season, Champion ...
Season Champion Runner-up
2023 Northern Virginia FC[45] (EPSL) Las Vegas Legends
2024 New York Greek American[46] (EPSL) Worldwide Problems FC
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West Region Finals

More information Season, Champion ...
Season Champion Runner-up Third Fourth
Fall 2023 Las Vegas Legends[47] FC Golden State Force FC Brownsville Peak XI FC (MPL)
Fall 2024 Worldwide Problems FC[48] Las Vegas Legends Peak XI FC (MPL) Chula Vista FC (SWPL)
Spring 2025 LA Force 2 Sin City FC
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Season Results

More information Region, Champion ...
Region Champion Runner-up Third place
Spring 2021
Northeast New Jersey Alliance FC[6] New Amsterdam FC II Steel Pulse FC
Fall 2021
Southwest FC Golden State Force[7] Las Vegas Legends Chula Vista FC
Spring 2022
Florida Club de Lyon[13] Atletico Orlando Deportivo Lake Mary
Northest New Jersey Alliance FC (2)[13] Union SC New York Braveheart
Pacific Battleborn FC[13] AFC South Bay San Francisco Elite Metro FC
Southwest Capo FC[13] FC Golden State Force Las Vegas Legends
Spring 2023
Pacific Battleborn FC (2)[49] JASA RWC Windmill City FC
Southwest FC Golden State Force (2)[50] Temecula FC Capo FC
Fall 2023
Pacific Battleborn FC (3)[51] JASA RWC Windmill City FC
Southwest FC Golden State Force (3) Temecula FC Capo FC
Texas FC Brownsville Matias Almeyda FC AC Houston Sur
Spring 2024
Pacific Silicon Valley Rush[52] Bay Area United Afghan Premier
Southwest Las Vegas Legends[53] FC Golden State Force Capo FC
Western NY Roc City Boom[54] Binghamton FC United Elite Krajisnik FC
Fall 2024
Coast Worldwide Problems FC[55] Las Vegas Legends FC Golden State Force
Pacific Silicon Valley Rush (2)[56] Club Tepa Afghan Premier
Spring 2025
Coast LA Force 2 (4)[a] Capo FC Worldwide Problems FC
Southwest Sin City FC STG Premier Pro SC Union Maricopa
Tennessee Nashville Knights FC Dream FC Paul Depay FC
Fall 2025
Southwest LA Force 2 (5)[b] Capo FC Worldwide Problems FC
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Notes
  1. Previous three championships as FC Golden State Force
  2. Previous three championships as FC Golden State Force

Leadership

More information Name, Years ...
Name Years Title Ref.
John Prutch 2022– Commissioner [57]
Matt Morse 2022– Managing Director, Independent Cup, & Affiliates [58]
Kenneth Henriques 2022– Referee Coordinator [59]
Carlos Budyszewick 2023– Director of Expansion and Outreach [12]
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References

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