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the division with another club, Bury FC, who after 125 years, had their membership from the English Football League “withdrawn”.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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Interview With .  .  . Christian Franek

Interview With .  .  . Christian Franek By NISA Nation Staff On August 19, 2019, The Breakers AFC of Palm Beach announced they were seeking a lead investor in order for their club to meet US Soccer Federation’s Professional League Standards.  The goal is to have professional soccer in a passionate soccer area and join some of America’s leading independent clubs in NISA in 2020. Christian Franek is the club’s current General Manager ...

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Building the Foundation Through Opportunity and Inclusion

Building the Foundation Through Opportunity and Inclusion By: NISA Nation Staff With each passing day another voice joins in the call for an open system for American soccer. Unfortunately, in some circles there seems to a certain level of dissonance between what is being demanded and what is required to meet those demands.  What we must remember though, is while a system of meritocracy is a core component of an open system, ...

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Why is NISA an association instead of a league?

Why is NISA an association instead of a league? By: NISA Nation Staff The term ‘association football’ comes from England’s Football Association attempts to standardize the rules governing the game in the mid-19th century.  FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, is an acronym for the French translation of International Federation of Association Football. But NISA – the National Independent Soccer Association – does not include Association as an homage to Association Football. As an association ...

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How can new clubs join NISA?

How can new clubs join NISA? By NISA Nation Staff With the introduction of the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) into the American professional soccer scene, there is a new ownership option for those interested in sports investment opportunities. As with all sanctioned U.S. based professional soccer leagues, NISA’s clubs are subject to the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) professional league standards (PLS). The Professional League Standards (if you click the link, look ...

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Greenhouses

Greenhouses By NISA Nation Staff On August 31, 2019, a ball will be kicked in a National independent Soccer Association game for the first time. With that kickoff a new association of independent soccer clubs will officially be up and running. But as NISA’s on-field launch approaches, many United States soccer fans are left to ponder what the future will hold. Professional soccer in the United States has not provided fans with the ...

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New Opportunities in Player Development

NISA: New Opportunities in Player Development By:NISA Nation Staff As the world of sports continues to develop and accelerate like the rest of society, the particular development of youth soccer players into professional soccer players has continued to advance. In particular, within the last two the three years, some of the most talked about professional soccer players are under the age of twenty-three, have commanded exponential transfer fees, and reframed the narrative ...

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Ten Reasons NISA Is Different

Ten Reasons NISA Is Different By NISA Nation Staff For a start-up to succeed, it usually comes down to two critical things: (1) Identifying a gap in the marketplace. (2) Filling that gap with a needed good or service. Whether it is unveiling a new app, opening of a new store, or launching a new professional soccer league the objective is the same. Identify that gap and fill it. With this in mind, let’s look ...

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