MISL shuts down

The Major Indoor Soccer League has suspended operations, but the two-time league champion Kixx expect to be playing soccer next season.

Yesterday, the MISL's management committee announced that the league, in financial crisis for years, had ceased operations.

"The Kixx are continuing operations as normal and fully expect to play next season in a newly structured league," team spokesman Tom Hushen said. "The summer camp program will also go on as planned."

The Kixx won league championships in 2001 and 2007.

A decision on the future of the MISL will be announced in "the next couple of weeks," the committee said.

The suspension of operations came a few days after commissioner Steve Ryan resigned, citing "differing opinions" regarding the direction of the league.

The committee said the league has begun restructuring to find ways to lower costs and attract new team owners and operators.

"We are considering structural changes that will bring us greater efficiencies while also allowing long-term growth and expansion of the league," said John Hantz, the former chairman of the MISL and owner of the Detroit Ignition.

All player contracts are void with the dissolution of the league, and all the players are free agents.

The MISL, which had players from 24 countries, had nine teams for the 2007-08 season: the Baltimore Blast, California Cougars, Chicago Storm, Detroit Ignition, Milwaukee Wave, La Raza de Monterrey, New Jersey Ironmen, Orlando Sharks and the Kixx.

The MISL started in 2001 after the National Professional Soccer League, which had started in 1984, disbanded.