# Continental Indoor Soccer League

The Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) was a professional indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997.

## History

In the summer of 1989 Dr Jerry Buss, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and California Sports, told his executive Vice President, Ron Weinstein, he was closing the doors on the Los Angeles Lazers of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and that if he ever wanted to "create a professional indoor soccer league that played in the summer months, out from under the shadow of the NBA, NFL, NHL, NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball", he would support the endeavor.
One year later, in late 1990, Ron Weinstein incorporated the Continental Indoor Soccer League with his business partner Jorge Ragde. They drafted all the necessary franchise documents to bring the league into fruition and create what was the first professional sports league to operate under the "single entity" formula in 1991. Buss later took a leave of absence from the project and was temporarily replaced by Phoenix Suns owner, Jerry Colangelo, who joined as one of the inaugural members of the league.
Colangelo and Weinstein took the lead role in working to attract NBA and NHL owners. Through Buss's and Colangelo's cooperative efforts they orchestrated two CISL meetings in conjunction with their own NBA Board of Governors meetings. The first was held in 1991 in Marina Del Rey and the second in New York City in 1992. CISL was launched with 7 teams committed to begin playing in the summer of 1993 with another eight contracted for 1994.
Monterrey La Raza made the CISL the first US league to have a team from Mexico participating. In 1995, a second Mexican team entered the league, the Mexico City Toros.
By the end of the 1995 season, the third year of the league, 50% of the teams were already profitable. In 1996, CISL signed a three-year agreement with FOX Sports to televise a game of the week nationally in prime time. That same year, the Indiana Twisters became the next expansion franchise admitted to the league.
In the fall of 1997, the surprising demise of the league took place primarily due to differences of direction between the NBA/NHL owners and three of the leagues non NBA/NHL teams: Dallas, Portland and Houston. They collaborated in an effort to leave the CISL and form their own league, The Premier Soccer Alliance. It is the opinion of many executives within the sports world, that indoor Soccer has never again reached the pinnacle of the CISL since operations formally ceased in the winter of 1998.
The Continental Indoor Soccer League Championship Trophy was titled the "Lawrence Trophy" named in honor of the commissioner and founder's father, Lawrence Albert Weinstein.

## Teams

| Team | NBA/NHL Affiliate | City/Area | Arena |
| Los Angeles United/Anaheim Splash | Los Angeles Lakers/Private owner | Los Angeles, California/Anaheim, California | The Forum/Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim |
| Arizona Sandsharks | Phoenix Suns | Phoenix, Arizona | America West Arena |
| Carolina Vipers | Private owner | Charlotte, North Carolina | Independence Arena |
| Dallas Sidekicks | Dallas Mavericks | Dallas | Reunion Arena |
| Detroit Neon/Safari | Detroit Pistons | Auburn Hills, Michigan | The Palace of Auburn Hills |
| Houston Hotshots | Private owner | Houston | The Summit |
| Indianapolis/Indiana Twisters | Private owner | Indianapolis | Market Square Arena |
| Las Vegas Dustdevils | Private owner | Las Vegas | MGM Grand Garden Arena/Thomas & Mack Center |
| Monterrey La Raza | Private owner | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Gimnasio Del Tec de Monterrey |
| Mexico Toros | Private owner | Mexico City | Palacio de los Deportes |
| Portland Pride | Private owner | Portland, Oregon | Memorial Coliseum/Moda Center |
| Pittsburgh Stingers | Pittsburgh Penguins | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh Civic Arena |
| Sacramento Knights | Sacramento Kings | Sacramento, California | ARCO Arena |
| San Diego Sockers | Private owner | San Diego | San Diego Sports Arena |
| San Jose Grizzlies | San Jose Sharks | San Jose, California | San Jose Arena |
| Seattle SeaDogs | Seattle SuperSonics | Seattle | Seattle Center Coliseum/KeyArena |
| Washington Warthogs | Washington Capitals | Landover, Maryland | USAir Arena |

## Lawrence Trophy Champions

| Season | Champion | Series | Runner-Up |
| 1993 | Dallas Sidekicks | 2–1 | San Diego Sockers |
| 1994 | Las Vegas Dustdevils | 2–1 | Dallas Sidekicks |
| 1995 | Monterrey La Raza | 2–1 | Sacramento Knights |
| 1996 | Monterrey La Raza | 2–0 | Houston Hotshots |
| 1997 | Seattle SeaDogs | 2–0 | Houston Hotshots |

### By Team

| Team | Championships | Runner Up | Champions | Runner-up |
| Monterrey La Raza | 2 | 0 | 1995, 1996 | |
| Dallas Sidekicks | 1 | 1 | 1993 | 1994 |
| Las Vegas Dustdevils | 1 | 0 | 1994 | |
| Seattle SeaDogs | 1 | 0 | 1997 | |
| Houston Hotshots | 0 | 2 | | 1996, 1997 |
| Sacramento Knights | 0 | 1 | | 1995 |
| San Diego Sockers | 0 | 1 | | 1993 |

## Annual awards
### Most Valuable Player

* 1993: Tatu, Dallas Sidekicks
* 1994: Tatu, Dallas Sidekicks
* 1995: Preki, San Jose Grizzlies
* 1996: Tatu, Dallas Sidekicks
* 1997: Paul Dougherty, Houston Hotshots

### Goalkeeper of the Year

* 1993: Joe Papaleo, Dallas Sidekicks
* 1994: Antonio Cortes, San Diego Sockers
* 1995: Mike Dowler, Sacramento Knights
* 1996: Juan de la O, Seattle SeaDogs
* 1997: Juan de la O, Seattle SeaDogs

### Coach of the Year

* 1993: Gordon Jago, Dallas Sidekicks
* 1994: George Fernandez, Anaheim Splash
* 1995: Erich Geyer, Monterrey La Raza
* 1996: Trevor Dawkins, Houston Hotshots
* 1997: Fernando Clavijo, Seattle SeaDogs

### Rookie of the Year

* 1993: Marco Lopez, Monterrey La Raza
* 1994: John Olu–Molomo, San Diego Sockers
* 1995: Mark Chung, San Diego Sockers
* 1996: Carlos Farias, San Diego Sockers
* 1997: Guillermo Castaneda, Washington Warthogs

### Defender of the Year

* 1993: Sean Bowers, Sacramento Knights
* 1994: Ralph Black, Anaheim Splash
* 1995: Danny Pena, Sacramento Knights
* 1996: Troy Snyder, Washington Warthogs
* 1997: Genoni Martinez, Monterrey La Raza

### Playoff MVP

* 1993: Tatu, Dallas Sidekicks
* 1994: Branko Šegota, Las Vegas Dustdevils
* 1995: Zizinho, Monterrey La Raza
* 1996: Raul Salas, Monterrey La Raza
* 1997: Juan de la O, Seattle SeaDogs