The survivability of the NASL hangs in the balance of a court familiar to many American sports fans: the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. This is the same federal appeals court that ruled against New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. It’s also the same court that will hear arguments brought by Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott in his case against the NFL.
For NASL and the U.S. Soccer Federation, the Second Circuit is critical for a different case. NASL has petitioned it to review whether U.S. District Court Judge Margo Brodie wrongly denied NASL’s petition for a preliminary injunction.