National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association

What National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association does

The National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NISOA), founded in 1963 and domiciled in St. Petersburg, Florida, is a nonprofit membership association that identifies, trains, certifies, and assigns soccer referees for collegiate competition across the United States. NISOA serves approximately 4,500-5,000 referee members nationally, with its officials working across NCAA Division I, II, and III, NAIA, NJCAA, NCCAA, and NIRSA conferences (including American Athletic, Big Ten, SEC, WAC, RMAC, Peach Belt, SWAC, WCC, Coast-to-Coast, East Coast, and others). The organization is governed by an elected national board and 11 regional representatives and operates a network of local ISOA chapters that recruit, train, and certify referees within their geographies.

The core digital asset is the NISOA Membership Portal (nisoa.mn.co), launched in January 2022 as the second stage of a multi-year digital transformation, alongside a new public website launched in February 2021. The portal provides members with proprietary educational content, chapter communications, partner discounts, recorded webinars, fitness testing resources, and networking features. NISOA's product surface also includes the Summer Summit, Women's and Men's College Cup Seminars, a Summer School virtual series, the NISOA-NCAA Spring Education & Quiz Series, a Fireside Chat Series, the annual Preseason Guide, the Terry Vaughn Referee of the Week award (sponsored by Official Sports), the Rob Ruta Award (inaugurated 2025), the Mentorship Program (launched July 2024), the RIDE diversity committee, and a 2025 Mental Strength Partnership. Technology partnerships include a three-year agreement with RQ+ (announced November 2023) providing Central Hub access, streamlined post-season registration, and background checks.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: annual membership dues (a $25 dues credit for renewing members was issued in 2021, indicating dues above that floor), registration fees for educational programs and in-person events such as Summer Summits and College Cup Seminars, and brand partnerships/sponsorships (Official Sports, Hyperice, Lululemon, RefSix, TorrX, RefEdge). The organization is privately held, not venture-backed, and operates independently under elected board governance. No revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association

Legal name

National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association

Website

https://nisoa.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

NISOA is a US-based nonprofit membership association founded in 1963 that trains, certifies, and assigns approximately 4,500-5,000 soccer referees for collegiate matches across NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, NCCAA, and NIRSA conferences, funded by member dues, educational events, and brand partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Officiating Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAJAN

Referee, Umpire & Coach Education/Certification Academies

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Camps, Academies & Training Centers

SECONDARYMPAKAFAC

National Governing Bodies (NGBs)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Rights Holders & Governing Bodies (Federations, Associations, Sanctioning Bodies)

Keywords

• Soccer referee training
• Collegiate athletics officiating
• Membership association services
• Referee certification programs
• Sports officiating education

Headquarters

HQ city

Delray Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for soccer referees at local chapter and national levels. Members receive access to the portal, educational resources, liability protection, networking, and partner discounts.
2. Educational Programs and Events: Revenue from seminars, summer summits, and training events including registration fees for educational sessions and clinics.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

NISOA identifies, trains, develops, and certifies soccer officials for collegiate competition in the United States. Its core deliverable is an annual membership that grants referees access to standardized training, educational content, fitness testing resources, recognition programs, mentorship, and inclusion in the national pool used by collegiate conference assignors. The association also runs live and virtual education events such as Summer Summit, College Cup Seminars, Virtual Summer School, and the Fireside Chat Series to support ongoing referee development.

Product overview

NISOA is a membership-based collegiate soccer officiating association offering a unified platform of products and programs centered on the NISOA Membership Portal, which provides proprietary educational content, networking, and member management. The organization's core offerings include the annual Terry Vaughn Referee of the Week Award and the newly established Rob Ruta Award for recognition; the NISOA Mentorship Program, Summer School, and Fireside Chat Series for education; the Women's College Cup Seminar and Summer Summit for in-person training events; the Chapter Network with a Chapter Locator tool; and the RQ+ Central Hub partnership for registration and background checks. NISOA also publishes an annual Preseason Guide and provides fitness testing resources, all under a membership benefits umbrella that includes liability protection and partner discounts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NISOA Membership Annual individual membership program for soccer referees, granting access to the Member Portal, standardized training content, fitness testing resources, recognition award eligibility, mentorship, and inclusion in the national pool used by NCAA, NAIA, NAIA, NJCAA, NCCAA, and NIRSA conference assignors. The membership is the primary paid offering and the foundation for all other programs.
• NISOA Member Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 54 hours of college soccer referee educational content produced during pandemic period
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• RQ+coreTechnology or Integration · 27 November 2023Groundbreaking three-year agreement providing Central Hub access, streamlined Post-Season registration, and comprehensive background checks for all NISOA members regardless of geographic location.
• HypericeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner brand providing discounts to NISOA members through the member portal.
• LululemonGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner brand providing discounts to NISOA members.
• NCAAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNISOA works closely with NCAA for officiating standards, education, and NCAA co-sponsorship of the annual Women College Cup Officiating Seminar. Joint webinar series and education during pandemic.
• NAIAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNISOA officials officiate NAIA postseason tournaments and championship matches alongside NCAA events.
• Official SportsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor for Terry Vaughn NISOA Referee of the Week award. Provides $50 gift cards to weekly winners and nominators. Provides commemorative championship gifts for Final Four match officials.
• NASO (National Association of Sports Officials)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization for sports officials providing mutual support and networking opportunities.
• United Soccer CoachescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to offer Celebration of Soccer Officiating event at United Soccer Coaches Convention. Free registration provided to NISOA National Referees for the event.
• NIRSAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing relationship for educational support at NIRSA National Soccer Championships. NISOA sent national clinicians to provide education and identify high-performing match officials.
• East Coast ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for practical field training clinics at Mercy College. ECC provides facility and EMS support while NISOA provides technical referee training.
• TorrXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial smart ball pump of NISOA. Provides products for vanishing spray and smart ball pumps at training events.
• RefEdgeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner providing vanishing spray and products for NISOA practical training clinics.
• RefSixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner brand providing discounts to NISOA members through the member portal.
• Referee.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization in refereeing community providing mutual support and visibility.
• NJCAAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNISOA officials officiate NJCAA (Junior College) national tournaments and finals.
• NCCAAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNISOA officials provide officiating services for NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Association of Sports Officials (NASO): NASO is a US-based membership association for sports officials across multiple sports, providing training, networking, and liability support. It is the closest direct peer to NISOA in mission and structure, though broader across sports (not soccer-specific).
• Professional Referee Organization (PRO): PRO is the organization responsible for officiating professional soccer matches in the US (MLS, NWSL, USL). It shares NISOA's soccer-specific referee training and assignment focus but operates at the professional tier rather than collegiate, making it a closely related peer.
• United Soccer Coaches: United Soccer Coaches is the largest soccer-coaching membership organization in the US, offering education, conventions, and certification. NISOA co-hosts a Celebration of Soccer Officiating event at its annual convention, and both organizations share a soccer education-and-community mandate.
• National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA): NIRSA is a membership association for campus recreation professionals. NISOA partners with NIRSA to supply officials and clinicians for NIRSA's national soccer championships, making it a closely related peer in the collegiate recreation-officiating space.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Soccer Federation: The US national governing body for soccer sets rules, develops officials, and oversees player development pathways. NISOA operates in a parallel soccer-education space and coordinates with US Soccer, making it a comparable broader incumbent even though it focuses specifically on collegiate officiating.
• NCAA: The NCAA is the national governing body for collegiate athletics and a key NISOA partner. While it oversees competition rather than officiating training, its standards and education programs deeply shape NISOA's curriculum and referee certification criteria.
• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA): NAIA is a collegiate athletics governing body for smaller institutions. As a core customer of NISOA officiating services, NAIA represents a comparable sports-governance incumbent, though it does not train officials directly.
• National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA): NJCAA governs two-year college athletics. NISOA officials staff NJCAA national tournaments and finals, making NJCAA a relevant peer in the broader collegiate sports-governance ecosystem NISOA serves.
• National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS): NFHS writes playing rules for high school sports and supports officials education nationwide. While it covers a different educational tier, its rule-making and officials-training role makes it a structurally comparable peer to NISOA's collegiate-focused work.

Others

• Referee.com: Referee.com is a content and community platform serving sports officials broadly, with a long-running magazine and online resources. It is a thematically adjacent peer — complementary rather than directly competitive — with overlapping audience but a media rather than association business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/nisoareferee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association