ger ▁with ▁that ▁league ; ▁the ▁C FL ' s ▁own ers ▁were ▁" lu ke w arm " ▁and ▁ultimately ▁rejected ▁the ▁Out la ws ' ▁request . ▁With ▁nearly ▁all ▁of ▁its ▁players ▁under ▁contract ▁to ▁the ▁NFL ▁and ▁C FL , ▁U sh er ▁announced ▁the ▁league ▁would ▁stay ▁sh utter ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁as ▁well . ▁( Many ▁of ▁the ▁US FL ▁players ▁who ▁were ▁not ▁under ▁NFL ▁contract ▁would ▁end ▁up ▁playing ▁in ▁fall ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁as ▁replacement ▁players ▁during ▁the ▁strike .) ▁ ▁The ▁US FL ▁appe aled ▁the ▁award , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁rejected ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁for ▁the ▁Second ▁Circ uit ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁This ▁decision ▁ended ▁any ▁chance ▁of ▁the ▁US FL ▁returning ▁to ▁the ▁field , ▁and ▁the ▁league ' s ▁six ▁remaining ▁teams ▁( the ▁Out la ws ▁had ▁already ▁decided ▁not ▁to ▁return ) ▁voted ▁to ▁formally ▁dis band ▁shortly ▁after ward . ▁However , ▁because ▁the ▁US FL ▁was ▁at ▁least ▁nomin ally ▁the ▁winner ▁of ▁the ▁law suit , ▁the ▁NFL ▁was ▁required ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁US FL ' s ▁att orney ▁fe es ▁and ▁costs ▁of ▁lit ig ation , ▁and ▁the ▁US FL ▁was ▁awarded ▁over ▁$ 5 . 5 ▁million ▁in ▁att orney ▁fe es ▁and ▁over ▁$ 6 2 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁court ▁costs . ▁That ▁award ▁was ▁appe aled ▁by ▁the ▁NFL ; ▁it ▁was