The National Independent Soccer Association Friday added 1000 Oaks FC as an expansion team.
The team, located in Westlake Village-Thousand Oaks region of southern California, will begin play in 2023.
“The addition of 1000 Oaks not only brings more presence to the west coast, but it brings in a very strong ownership group,” NISA executive vice president Josh Prutch said in a statement.
The owners of 1000 Oaks FC, led by businessperson and club CEO Mark Noorzai, want to combine soccer with their education and entrepreneurship organizations.
“We are thrilled to have our application accepted by NISA’s board and to bring professional soccer to our area,” Noorzai said in a statement. “With the acceptance into NISA, we now have completed our soccer ecosystem. We are excited to demonstrate how high-tech and sports can pave the way for so many people to enjoy the beautiful game. Our number one goal is to empower people to think big and have a clear path to achieve their goals through education, entrepreneurship and now soccer.”
The 1000 Oaks youth system plans to expand over the next few years and include as many as 200 teams. The club will also partner with the non-profit scholarship organization Achieve Goals, Inc.
