National Indoor Soccer League
Former Indoor Soccer League
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The National Indoor Soccer League (NISL) was an indoor soccer league plagued with internal controversy that began play in 2021 and was based in the Southeast United States. The league fielded men's and women's divisions.[1] On March 24, 2021, the league announced its partnership with Nike yet internal sources state that the partnership never materialized based on the business practices of the NISL management and ownership.[2] On March 29, 2024, the league announced a merger with Major League Indoor Soccer.[3]
| |
| Founded | January 2021 |
|---|---|
| Folded | March 2024 |
| Country | United States |
| Number of clubs | 5 |
| Last champions | Fayetteville Fury (Men) Memphis Americans (Women) |
| Most championships | Fayetteville Fury (Men) (1 title) Memphis Americans (Women) (1 title) |
| Website | www |
History
On April 29, 2021, the Memphis Americans were officially announced as a charter team in the new NISL[4] On June 7. 2021, the Fayetteville Fury were announced as the league's second team. On August 17, 2021, the Columbus Rapids became the third franchise to join the league. On December 16, 2021, 10 days before the season opener, the Rome (Ga.) Gladiators, a travel team, became the fourth and final team to join the league for its inaugural season.[5]
On July 7, 2022, it was announced that an expansion team was coming to Tampa.[6]
On November 16, 2023, after a fight between the players and coaches of the Memphis Americans and Tampa Bay Strikers, the Memphis Americans went on hiatus.[7]
After endless controversy related to player and staff wages, safety, sponsorship fulfillment, and general business practices on the part of the league and its owner/director Andrew Haines,[8] on March 29, 2024, the league announced its merger with Major League Indoor Soccer with many staff and players never receiving their wages in full.[9][10]
Staff
- Andrew Haines – Executive Board of Directors
- Joshua Blair – Executive Board of Directors
- Jason Gibson – Executive Board of Directors
- Michael Taylor – Executive Board of Directors
- Donald Bunney – Creative Director
Teams
Final season
| Team | City/Area | Arena | Capacity | Men's Coach | Women's Coach | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany Aces[11] | Albany, Georgia | Albany Civic Center | 7,200 | TBA | TBA | 2023 |
| Central Florida Crusaders[12] | Orlando, Florida | Addition Financial Arena | 9,400 | Tom Traxler | Tom Traxler | 2022 |
| Fayetteville Fury | Fayetteville, North Carolina | Crown Coliseum | 10,000 | Jay Burbee | Jay Burbee | 2021 |
| Magic City SC[13] | Pelham, Alabama | Pelham Civic Center | 4,100 | TBA | TBA | 2023 |
| Tampa Bay Strikers[14] | Tampa, Florida | Yuengling Center | 10,411 | Martín Gramática[15] | Martín Gramática | 2022 |
Former
| Team | City/Area | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Went Inactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rome Gladiators | Rome, Georgia | N/A | N/A | 2021 | 2022[16] |
| Columbus Rapids | Columbus, Georgia | Columbus Civic Center | 7,573 | 2021 | 2023 |
| Memphis Americans | Southaven, Mississippi | Landers Center | 8,500 | 2021 | 2023 |
Champions
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Final Score | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–2022 | Fayetteville Fury | Memphis Americans | 5–3 | Crown Coliseum |
| 2022–2023 | Central Florida Crusaders | Awarded Championship | ||
| 2024 | none |
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Final Score | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–2022 | Memphis Americans | Rome Gladiators | 5–3 | Crown Coliseum |
| 2022–2023 | Memphis Americans | Awarded Championship | ||
| 2024 | none |
