 It considered the television-related claims to be the heart of its case.On August 4—four days after the announcement of the verdict—the USFL owners voted to suspend operations for the 1986 season, with the intent of returning in 1987; the league accurately foresaw the 1987 players' strike and had hoped the strike would give the league access to star players.Players signed to contracts were free to sign with NFL (or other professional teams) immediately.