NISA Nation

NISA Nation

Organizing body	NISA
Founded	September 17, 2020; 4 years ago (2020-09-17)
First season	2021
Country	United States
Confederation	CONCACAF (North American Football Union)
Divisions	4
Number of teams	22
Domestic cup(s)	U.S. Open Cup
League cup(s)	NISA Independent Cup
International cup(s)	CONCACAF Champions League (via U.S. Open Cup)
Current champion(s)	NoVa FC (1st title)
Most championships	NoVa FC (1 title)
TV partners	Eleven Sports
Website	nisanation.com
Current: 2024 NISA Nation season

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 third tier professional league National Independent Soccer Association.^[1][2]

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]

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]

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

Clubs in NISA Nation can qualify for the U.S. Open Cup through the local qualifying route. In 2022, five clubs from NISA Nation applied to participate in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup. Battleborn FC, Capo FC, SC Union Maricop, Club De Lyon, and Deportivo Lake Mary all started the 2023 U.S. Open Cup qualification^[21] Capo FC and Club De Lyon qualified to compete in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup.^[22] Capo FC advanced the furthest in the competition making it into the second round.^[23] Five teams took part in the 2024 U.S. Open Cup qualification. Battleborn FC and Capo FC participated in their second qualification tournament and Bay Area United FC, JASA RWC, and Temecula FC participating for the first time as a member of NISA Nation.^[24] Temecula FC advanced furthest, making it to the fourth qualifying round before losing to Irvine Zeta FC.^[25] Four teams will take part in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup qualification. Las Vegas Legends, Modesto City, and Soccer Academy Nevada are participating for the first time and Roc City Boom is participating for their fourth time, reaching the third qualifying round twice.^[26]

NISA Nation is affiliated and plans to begin a pro-rel system with 6 leagues all over the country: the Cascadia Premier League^[27] in Washington and Oregon, the Eastern Premier Soccer League^[28] in the north east, 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^[29] in the states of Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin and Missouri. In 2023 reaffirmed their association with Cascadia Premier League, Eastern Premier Soccer 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.^[30] In August 2023, NISA Nation announced the association with Florida Gold Coast League.^[31] In October 2023, NISA Nation announced their affiliation with Metroplex Premier League, an amateur league from North Texas.^[32] In February 2024, NISA Nation announced the Upstate New York Region as the fourth region for the 2024 Spring season.^[33]

Modesto City FC

Afghan Premier FC

Club Tepa

Elk Grove Blues

Silicon Valley Rush

Capo

Golden State

Olympiacos CA

Temecula FC

Irvine Zeta FC

Worldwide Problem FC

Las Vegas

Soccer Academy Nevada

STG Premier Pro

FC Brownsville

Binghamton FC

United Elite Krajisnick FC

Roc City Boom

Sahara Gunners FC

Gaffer City FC

FC Dutchman Independence

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NISA Nation clubs
Southwest Region; Coast Region; Pacific Region; Texas Region; Upper New York Region

• NISA Nation website