On February 23, 2018, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a gut-punch to the North American Soccer League (NASL) by denying their appeal of the District Court order denying their request for an injunction against the United States Soccer Federation. It was a blow the NASL apparently could not recover from, as they announced four days later that they would not participate as a soccer league this year at any level.
If granted, the injunction would have essentially granted the NASL Division 2 status, at least for the 2018 season, and potentially until the underlying anti-trust lawsuit was resolved (either through trial, settlement or dismissal).