And then there were two.
Two soccer teams in town, that is. At a press conference at the Landers Center in Southaven, MS, executives unveiled both the newly-formed National Indoor Soccer League (NISL), and one of the first teams to join the burgeoning venture: the Memphis Americans.
Even better, it’s a two for one deal when it comes to this league. The NISL – formed by executives with extensive experience at every level of the indoor game – will support professional squads for both men and women. That means each matchday will see both male and female professional sides take to the turf come game time.
“This will be the first professional indoor soccer league in the country to have both a men and women’s division,” said Joshua Blair, a member of the NISL’s executive board of directors. “It will be the only league in the United States that will have women’s indoor professional soccer. By building both men and women’s teams, we will be able to reach a broader range of fans.”
Each NISL matchday will feature doubleheaders, with the men and women’s teams playing back to back. One ticket will gain spectators access to both matches. The Americans will play 24 matches, and host 12 of those at home in the Landers Center. The season will start “right after Christmas this December, and then run through April,” according to Blair. Capacity at the venue will be around 8,500 people.
For now, the NISL is committed to fielding teams in a minimum of four cities for the upcoming season. But the league is already in talks with several other ownership groups across the country. “Our plan is to start here in the southeastern United States,” he continues, “and build outward from there with the goal of being nationwide in three years.” Meanwhile, the league received a huge boost after signing a five-year strategic partnership with Nike, which will the NISL’s official uniform, apparel, and accessory brand through the 2025-26 season.
On a local note, the “Americans” moniker chosen for the team has history in the Mid-South. In 1981, the group Athletes in Action purchased the Major Indoor Soccer League team known as the Hartford Hellions and relocated it to Memphis. The team was rebranded as the Memphis Americans and played at the Mid-South Coliseum through 1984, before new ownership moved the organization to Las Vegas, Nevada. The current name builds on the legacy of that bit of Memphis history, all while taking the name forward.
With the team officially announced, feelers are being put out to gauge interest from coaches around the country. According to fellow NISL board member Andrew Haines, many candidates have already made contact with the team. “We’ve already had discussions on potential candidates, “he says. “We’ve been blowing up over the last 48 hours since word started leaking out. So we’re going to really go through that process slowly and want to make sure we get that right fit.”
When it comes to building a playing squad, the Americans are looking to build a large chunk of the roster out of local athletes. “If you look at the Greater Memphis Area and a three-hour radius around here, the college soccer programs on both men and women’s sides, you’ve got some of the best programs in the country, especially on the women’s side. The talent in this region is unmatched.
“So that’s our first focus. Obviously we want to bring in the best possible talent, so there might be players from other countries. We’ll be working on that, and we’re working with Todd [Mastry, Landers Center executive director] and his staff to do some tryouts in the arena once the turf arrives.”
The tryouts are one product of Haines’ commitment to the value of community. And the Memphis Americans offers the NISL an opportunity to put down roots and bolster the game in the region. “Community is really what I believe in. Every organization I’ve been a part of, we really do get out there. … We have a youth club partner program, and we’ve already started reaching out to youth clubs to work with in the area. We will be club neutral. We have no interest in starting our own youth academy and competing with other clubs; we want to partner with them.”
Beyond academy partnerships, the NISL will host other communal events. Think 3v3 tournaments, youth clinics, or the league’s Play Like the Pros program, where kids can play on the field prior to a game. Many of the professional players will also be available to work with kids through training sessions or other community appearances.
After the presser, the Flyer spoke with Haines about some of the NISL’s goals in the community, and why the Memphis market was so appealing.
Memphis Flyer: You’re launching a brand new league; what made this an attractive market for one of your first teams?
Haines: My history coming to the market [from St. Louis], and knowing about the arena over the past 15-20 years, and working with Todd and his staff. … When they make you feel like a part of the family, part of the team, it’s important. We need that partnership with the facility, because if you don’t have that partnership, you’re just renting the building. With their involvement and interest, that will help us be successful. I’ll be honest, I haven’t been this excited in a while. We’re adding the women’s component, and I just think this market will be very successful.
You’d mentioned that your focus for building a roster would be very local. Have you already reached out to specific programs or universities?
We’ve reached out to every university and soccer program within an hour-and-a-half from here to start. Obviously I’m not going to be the coach, so I want them to build those relationships, but I at least wanted to make initial contact. So far, we’ve gotten a really positive response. They’ve got players who are graduating or who have already graduated they want us to look at. University of Memphis, we’ve got some great feedback there from both the men and women’s programs. We have to tap into these local resources. There’s so much talent within the region, and we just have to find it.
You’ll be the second soccer team joining this market. Do you have any interest in having a partnership or crossover with 901 FC?
We’re open to anything. In the past, for organizations I’ve run, we’ve always partnered with the other sports teams in the market, whether that be an NBA team, MLB, soccer. For us, we’re all about collaboration. We understand we might be competing for sponsor dollars every now and again, but the more successful we all are as teams, the better it is for everyone. We’ve started building relationships already. The Grizzlies invited us out to the game last night, we’ve talked with 901 FC, the Hustle was here today. From our standpoint, that’s what it’s all about.
For the coaching search, I know it takes a certain amount of time to find the right fit. Do you have a timeframe for when you’ll make that decision?
No, we want to make sure we have the right coach. We have such a cool opportunity here. We want to make sure we hit it out of the park, and get someone who’s the right fit for who we need. So we’re going to be careful about that. We’d love to have it sooner than later, of course, but we’re going to take the time we need.
Visit the NISL website or Memphis Americans website to learn more about the league. Season tickets for the inaugural season are already on sale.
