Prior to the season, several established teams joined the NSL, mainly from the collapsed Negro National League.
Leagues in the depression-era Southern United States were far less organized and lucrative than those in the north, owing to a smaller population base and a lower standard of living.
The NSL operated on an irregular basis as each season's schedule was depended upon the availability of the more prominent team owners who were quick to seek more profitable avenues whenever possible.
The NSL did not organize a schedule for the 1924,[2]: 3 1925[2]: 3 or 1928[2]: 5 seasons due to the Birmingham Black Barons and Memphis Red Sox participating in the Negro National League those years.
The 1929 season was poorly attended and teams struggled to complete their schedules; Birmingham and Memphis did not participate.
[2]: 6 The remaining NSL teams played independent schedules that year, while the New Orleans Caulfield Ads moved to the Texas–Louisiana League.
The Negro National League collapsed for good after the 1931 season and many players (and two teams) migrated to the NSL.