The National Indoor Soccer League (NISL) was an indoor soccer league 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.[2] On March 29, 2024, the league announced a merger with Major League Indoor Soccer.[3]
 | |
| Founded | January 2021 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Number of teams | 5 |
| Current champions | Fayetteville Fury (Men) Memphis Americans (Women) |
| Most championships | Fayetteville Fury (Men) (1 title) Memphis Americans (Women) (1 title) |
| Website | www |
History
editOn 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 it was announced that an expansion team was coming to Tampa.[6]
On March 29, 2024, the league announced its merger with Major League Indoor Soccer.[7][8]
Staff
edit- 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
editCurrent
edit| Team | City/Area | Arena | Capacity | Men's Coach | Women's Coach | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany Aces[9] | Albany, Georgia | Albany Civic Center | 7,200 | TBA | TBA | 2023 |
| Central Florida Crusaders[10] | 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[11] | Pelham, Alabama | Pelham Civic Center | 4,100 | TBA | TBA | 2023 |
| Tampa Bay Strikers[12] | Tampa, Florida | Yuengling Center | 10,411 | Martín Gramática[13] | Martín Gramática | 2022 |
On Hiatus
edit| Team | City/Area | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Went Inactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis Americans | Southaven, Mississippi | Landers Center | 8,500 | 2021 | 2023 |
Former
edit| Team | City/Area | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Went Inactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rome Gladiators | Rome, Georgia | N/A | N/A | 2021 | 2022[14] |
| Columbus Rapids | Columbus, Georgia | Columbus Civic Center | 7,573 | 2021 | 2023 |
Champions
edit| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Final Score | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–2022 | Fayetteville Fury | Memphis Americans | 5–3 | Crown Coliseum |
| 2022–2023 | Central Florida Crusaders | Awarded Championship |
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Final Score | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–2022 | Memphis Americans | Rome Gladiators | 5–3 | Crown Coliseum |
| 2022–2023 | Memphis Americans | Awarded Championship |
References
edit- ^ "New indoor soccer league launching in the Mid-South". KAIT. April 29, 2020.
- ^ "NISL & NIKE Ink Five Year Strategic Partnership". National Indoor Soccer League. March 24, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "News: Major League Indoor Soccer Takes Major Step with Acquisition of National Indoor Soccer League - Major League Indoor Soccer". March 29, 2024.
- ^ "National Indoor Soccer League Brings Team to Mid-South". memphisamericans.com. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ^ "Rome Gladiators Announced as the NISL 4th Team". romegladiatorsga.com. December 16, 2021.
- ^ "Professional Indoor Soccer Coming to Tampa". bizjournals.com/tampabay. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ "News: Major League Indoor Soccer Takes Major Step with Acquisition of National Indoor Soccer League - Major League Indoor Soccer". March 29, 2024.
- ^ Traub, Matt (April 1, 2024). "Major League Indoor Soccer Acquires NISL". SportsTravel. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ Bob Bakken (July 28, 2023). "NISL to add Albany, Georgia as expansion franchise". Retrieved July 28, 2023.
- ^ Andrew Haines (August 4, 2022). "NISL ADDS ORLANDO AS EXPANSION TEAM". cflcrusaders.com. SoccerShift. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- ^ NISL (August 17, 2023). "NEW EXPANSION TEAM "MAGIC CITY SC" JOINS NATIONAL INDOOR SOCCER LEAGUE FOR THE 2024 SEASON". Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ "The Tampa Bay Strikers are coming to the Yuengling Center". Bay News 9. July 11, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ "Tampa Bay Strikers announce Martin Gramatica as head coach". NISL Pro. July 25, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ "National Indoor Soccer League Announcing Home Openers for 2023 Season". NISL Pro. December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
External links
edit
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