[1][2] On August 25, 2021, Atlantic City FC was announced as the first club of the newly formed league.

[3] Two weeks later, NISA Nation announced they had six teams for their inaugural season and they would play a 10-game schedule in the Northeast Region.

[6] In early January 2022, FC Golden State Force claimed the first Southwest Region championship.

[18] The two finalists, Northern Virginia FC and Las Vegas Legends, were both invited to promote to the third-tier NISA.

The inaugural Championship represented the first opportunity for merit-based promotion to the professional level in the United States soccer league system.

Capo FC and Club de Lyon are the only two teams to qualify for the tournament proper, which they both did in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup.

[32] In August 2023, NISA Nation announced the association with Florida Gold Coast League.