This morning, regular Protagonist Soccer contributor Michael Battista reported that NISA would not be sanctioned as a professional league in 2025. In a well-researched and superbly-written article for Hudson River Blue, Battista cited multiple sources that anonymously claimed that “NISA will not be granted provisional sanctioning in 2025 by U.S. Soccer.” The news is somewhat shocking, but not for the reasons one might think.

NISA is, and always has been, a league with issues.

Each season, the best clubs find a way to exit NISA, leaving the league to scratch together enough clubs for the league to function. Sources have claimed that the league often create league-funded dummy clubs to prop up the table. Players for those clubs have complained about playing conditions, mistreatment from staff, a lack of professionalism, and a consistent shortage of payment. Bystanders and fans alike called for US Soccer to get involved and punish the league with restrictions or punishment, but regardless of the criticism, NISA continued to limp on with the implied approval of the powers that be. The axe never fell, even though everyone predicted it each season.

Until now, apparently.

Over the course of three years, I helped host the Knights Who Say NISA podcast and wrote extensively about the league for our site. At times, it felt dirty to treat a disorganized and seemingly dishonest organization with serious journalistic coverage. Each scandal that broke was another straw added to the proverbial camel’s back, until earlier this year, it gave out. We heard claims from multiple players that teams weren’t paying yet again and we stopped covering the league. It felt wrong to continue, like I was somehow complicit in the misdeeds.

And this season has been more of the same. Players complaining about lack of pay, clubs postponing and cancelling matches without notice, and then the suspension of the regular season champion Maryland Bobcats. You can set your watch by the predictability of NISA’s malfunction. This year was no exception.

The worst part of it all is how much promise the league entered the scene with. Soccer fans were excited about what the league could be, given the promises and plans that came with its rollout. Now the league could be remembered for how it squandered millions of owners’ dollars, the time and health of so many soccer players, and the good will of the soccer public. It appears to be over now, but we shall see.

- Dan Vaughn