Community Corner: Where should the NISA consider for expansion?

The National Independent Soccer Association began its fall tournament this week at Keyworth Stadium, home of Detroit City FC. Over the next couple weeks, they hope to crown a champion from the 8 teams that are participating in the tournament.

The year-old league has been seeking teams to join the league while also fighting with the coronavirus and budgets to keep teams playing in the league. Recently, Oakland Roots announced its plans to join the USL Championship in 2021, while Maryland Bobcats FC, a team which plays in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC, along with a Peter Wilt-led Chicago franchise that has yet to be named, filed their application to join the NISA. The league has accepted the Chicago franchise into the league. The Miami FC also left the league after last season to join the USL Championship. Other clubs in Philadelphia and Atlanta folded after NISA’s first season.

When the Roots leave the NISA, and assuming the league accepts the applications of the Bobcats and Chicago, the league will have 12 teams: California United Strikers FC, Chattanooga FC, Detroit City FC, Los Angeles Force, Michigan Stars FC, New Amsterdam FC, New York Cosmos, San Diego 1904 FC, Stumptown Athletic, New Jersey Teamsters FC, Maryland Bobcats FC, and Chicago NISA.

Still, with those teams, the league is concentrated heavily on the coasts, with just a couple teams in the middle of the United States. There aren’t any teams in populous states like Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Georgia. They also have 2 teams in the Detroit area, 2 in Los Angeles, and 3 in New York/New Jersey.

So, the question for the week is: where should the NISA consider for expansion? Think smart, think outside the box, and then hit the comments and let us know which areas would fit in well with the existing teams in the league.