Spring 2020: Previewing the Home Openers

  Previewing the Home Openers By NISA Nation Staff Last month, the National Independent Soccer Association announced the spring home openers for our eight clubs beginning play in the Spring 2020 Season.  NISA also announced that club owners decided to proceed in Spring with a single table and each club playing home-and-away against every other club.  The winter break is almost over.  Let’s get to the matches.   February 28 – LA Force – Detroit ...

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NISA Commissioner John Prutch Presents to the USASA

NISA Commissioner John Prutch Presents to the USASA by NISA Nation staff Earlier this month, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the U.S. Soccer Federation was held in Nashville, Tennessee.  It was a landmark occasion for NISA as the league was unanimously approved for membership on the U.S. Professional Leagues Council.  The recognition that NISA clubs are adding to the national conversation about pro soccer is of course substantial but also the ...

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Building A Network: Pull Up A Chair (3 of 3)

Building a Network By NISA Nation Staff Part Three: Pull Up a Chair The following is the third part in a three part series regarding the network effect phenomenon and American professional soccer. If you did not read Part One: Network Externality, you can find it here. Part Two: The Cluster Effect can be found here. A running theme of this series has been the manner in which the professional game in the United ...

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Building A Network: The Cluster Effect (2 of 3)

Building a Network By NISA Nation Staff Part Two: The Cluster Effect The following is the second part in a three part article regarding the network effect phenomenon and American professional soccer. If you did not read Part One: Network Externality, you can find it here. clus·ter ef·fect noun – A phenomenon whereby firms from the same industry gather together in close proximity, resulting in an increase in value to consumers due to an ...

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Building A Network: Network Externality (1 of 3)

Building a Network by NISA Nation Staff   Part One: Network Externality net·work ef·fect noun – a phenomenon whereby a product or service gains additional value as more people use it. Also known as network externality, the theoretical framework of the network effect prescribes that for every additional user of a good or service, other users experience an increase in the value of the product or service. To put it another way, there is a ...

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What is the NISA Challenge Cup?

What is the NISA Challenge Cup? By NISA Nation Staff Tonight at 7pm Pacific, two Southern California neighbors will make their long-awaited debuts in NISA and play for the NISA Challenge Cup.  Besides it being the first professional game for each club, the Los Angeles Force and San Diego’s 1904 FC are playing for a trophy. The NISA Challenge Cup is a celebration of the derby. If you have been following along to the ...

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NISA Nation WEEK 1 Highlight Poll Results

WEEK 1 HIGHLIGHT POLL RESULTS With last weekend’s matches behind us, let’s take a look at what NISA Nation felt was the performance of the weekend.  In just Week 1, NISA fans saw both clubs battle in Detroit and a first half hat trick and an epic three goal comeback in Oakland.  There was plenty of action to choose from but the fans got it right as the atmospheres in both ...

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Raising the Floor

Raising the Floor By: NISA Nation Staff On Wednesday, August 21, the National Independent Soccer Association announced the first major sponsorship agreement for the young league. Anytime there is an announcement of this magnitude there are always questions. One of the most frequently asked questions was: “Isn’t NISA supposed to be independent?” Of course, Tim Kelly, Chairman of Chattanooga FC, put it best when he responded to one such fan by tweeting the ...

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How Sponsorships Help Leagues – and Clubs – Reduce Costs and Become Sustainable Without Diminishing Their Independence

How Sponsorships Help Leagues - and Clubs - Reduce Costs and Become Sustainable Without Diminishing Their Independence By NISA Nation Staff Sports is one of the few mediums that connects people around the world. But perhaps, what truly connects people across various walks of life are the stories and journeys that sports provide. In fact, one of the key components which allow sport to connect with people is sponsorship. Sponsorship provides sport ...

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Gigg Lane / Bury FC (Photo courtesy of Trip Advisor)

The Fate of Bury and Bolton

The Fate of Bury and Bolton By Simon Rose I am a Bristol Rovers supporter. As you may know, Bristol’s best club play in England’s third division alongside former Premier Division clubs with rich histories like Ipswich, Portsmouth and Sunderland. Up until August 27, Bristol Rovers also shared the division with another club, Bury FC, who after 125 years, had their membership from the English Football League “withdrawn”.  As a result, EFL’s ...

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