U.S. Soccer and MLS Prevail in $500M Antitrust Case Against NASL

A federal jury unanimously ruled that the U.S. Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer did not conspire to block the NASL's Division II status.

The North American Soccer League (NASL) filed the lawsuit in 2017 after the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) denied it Division II status, leading to the league's eventual shutdown.
The NASL alleged that the USSF and MLS conspired to create an anticompetitive system to protect MLS and suppress competition from other leagues.
The USSF argued it applied objective criteria for league classification, including team count, stadium capacity, and geographic distribution, and denied any conspiracy.
After three weeks of testimony, jurors in New York unanimously found no evidence of antitrust violations by the USSF or MLS, dismissing all claims.
NASL's attorney indicated plans to appeal, citing alleged legal errors in the trial that limited the jury's ability to consider certain evidence.