Continental Indoor Soccer League (1994)
Tombstone
Born: 1993 – CISL expansion franchise
Folded: Postseason 1994
First Game: June 11, 1994 (L 8-5 vs. Portland Pride)
Last Game: September 3, 1994 (L 9-7 @ Pittsburgh Stingers)
CISL Championships: None
Arena
Independence Arena (9,475)
Opened: 1955
Marketing
Team Colors: Blue, Yellow & Red
Ownership
Owners: Felix Sabates & Carl Scheer, et al.
Attendance
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Source: 1997 Continental Indoor Soccer League Official Guide
Our Favorite Stuff
Carolina Vipers 1994
Logo T-Shirt
You don’t have to know who the Carolina Vipers were to immediately understand when they were. This throwback Tee faithfully adheres to the Clinton-era sports branding playbook, from “Animals in Sunglasses” to “How Will They Know You’re a Soccer Team without a Black & White Ball?”
This Vipers design is also available as a Hooded or Crewneck Sweatshirt today from our friends at Old School Shirts!
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Background
The Carolina Vipers soccer team was a founding member of the Continental Indoor Soccer League (1993-1997) but didn’t begin play until the league’s second season in the summer of 1994.
More than 50% of the CISL’s original franchise owners were investors in NBA or NHL franchises. Vipers majority Felix Sabates was an original investor in the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets and co-owner Carl Scheer was a long-time ABA and NBA exec and the former President of the Hornets. NASCAR legends Richard & Kyle Petty were also limited partners in the group.
The Sabates-Scheer group also owned the popular Charlotte Checkers minor league hockey team, which debuted nine months before the Vipers in the fall of 1993. Like the Checkers, the Vipers played in the 9,500 Independence Arena in Charlotte. After several ownership changes – including a second term for Sabates in the early 2000’s, – the Checkers continue to play in Charlotte today.
Demise
The Carolina Vipers, by contrast, were a major misfire in the summer of 1994. Under Head Coach David Irving, Carolina was one of the worst clubs in the history of the CISL with a 3-25 record. Fans stayed away in droves. The Vipers ranked 12th out of 14 clubs with announced attendance of 3,034 per game. The club quietly folded after the 1994 season ended that September. The CISL folded three years later in December 1997.
In Memoriam
Vipers co-owner Carl Scheer passed away on December 13, 2019 at age 82. Denver Post obituary.
Carolina Vipers Shop
Our Favorite Stuff
Continental Indoor Soccer League Logo T-Shirt
The CISL was a summertime pro indoor soccer league that played in major NBA and NHL arenas, primarily in the Western U.S., from 1993 to 1997. The league also managed to bring its Continental aspirations into reality with a pair of Mexican franchises. Many of the all-time greats of the indoor game – Tatu, Preki and Branko Segota – chose the CISL over its wintertime competitor, the National Professional Soccer League.
This CISL design is available in White or Sport Grey and can also be ordered as Hooded or Crewneck Sweatshirt today at Old School Shirts!
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
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One Response
Yup. I was a goalkeeper for the hot mess in Carolina. Best summer of my life. Crazy stories from the road, but crazier stories from our home games. I literally have a million of them. Would love to share…and i have plenty of photos as well. ugh.