ALBION SC San Diego completes professional pyramid, venturing into NISA
ALBION San Diego announced it has completed soccer’s full professional pyramid by merging with San Diego 1904 FC to become ALBION San Diego Professional Soccer Club.
Starting in March 2022, ALBION San Diego will compete in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), the third division of professional soccer in the United States, and a sanctioned professional league within U.S. Soccer.
“ALBION has been a major part of the soccer community in San Diego for more than 40 years, developing players to the national and international professional levels, as well as to full national teams for both U.S. and Costa Rica,” said Noah Gins, CEO of ALBION. “By completing the professional pyramid we are positioned to play an even larger role in the development of our players and help them achieve greater success in the global system.”
ALBION San Diego will recruit and retain top domestic and international talent with a focus on the best and brightest 16-18-year-old players inside the ALBION Family and elite professional-grade talent from outside of ALBION’s homegrown talent pool in Southern California. ALBION San Diego players will be part of a fully professional environment that will strive to win on the pitch and elevate its top talent to premier professional clubs and leagues around the world.
“The vision for 1904 FC has always been to create a pipeline that could provide local players with the skills and experience to progress in their soccer careers,” said Paul Redfern, Co-owner of 1904 FC. “With this merger and the creation of ALBION San Diego Professional Soccer Club, we now have a solid infrastructure in place to help youth players in Southern California and around the U.S. realize their dreams of reaching the professional ranks.”
“And, finally, to the loyal 1904 FC fans, thank you,” Redfern continued. “We appreciate the support you’ve shown us. The last few years of instability are behind us, and we now have solidified our future and invite you to join us in supporting ALBION San Diego.”
ALBION is a grassroots soccer club built over 40 years serving the soccer community of San Diego and now has over 10,000 players and 15 affiliates across the U.S. with an objective to build one of the greatest players development pathways in U.S. Soccer.
With the addition of the ALBION San Diego NISA team, ALBION provides a complete pyramid, starting from its Juniors programs, to competitive pathways in U7-U19 youth soccer, and culminating in ALBION’s U13-U19 Elite Teams competing in MLS NEXT and EA for the boys, and GA and DPL for the girls. ALBION’s players compete and showcase their talents for college and professional recruitment.
The National Independent Soccer Association was founded in 2017 with a mission to bring professional soccer to every city in the United States. A pro league member of U.S. Soccer, NISA focuses on a model based on meritocracy, independent clubs controlling their own league, clubs owning their intellectual property, all without the barrier of territorial rights.
A member of the U.S. Soccer Federation, NISA also runs the mid-summer Independent Cup, open to independent professional and amateur clubs alike, and NISA Nation, an incubator league for amateur clubs interested in going pro.
