The recent history of lower-division soccer in the United States is full of lofty aspirations and clashing heads.



In the last 10 years alone, the NASL rose to become the country’s leading second-division league with a revitalized New York Cosmos as its flagship team. Then it declined and folded after seven seasons. The rival USL surpassed them on the way to second-division sanctioning, adding third- and fourth-division leagues under their umbrella despite serious growing pains. The NPSL grew to be the de facto fourth division based on its network of regional groups, but recently announced an eleven-team national competition called the Founders Cup despite not having USSF sanctioning yet.



It’s in this volatile environment that the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA, conversationally pronounced as NEE-suh) plans to break new ground. Set to start play in 2019-20, the league will play through the winter months (albeit with some kind of a...