A CHRONOLOGY

Oct. 16, 1984--United States Football League and 17 past and present USFL clubs sue the National Football League, its 28 teams and Commissioner Pete Rozelle for federal antitrust violations.

May 30, 1985--USFL amends its suit to drop one USFL team, the Tampa Bay Bandits, and one NFL team, the L.A. Raiders, and to add common-law claims to its antitrust charges.

May 12, 1986--Trial begins with jury selection; six jurors, none of whom said they were football fans, and six alternates are chosen.

May 14--Attorneys for both leagues--Harvey Myerson for the USFL and Frank Rothman for the NFL--deliver their opening statements.

May 15--NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle begins more than five days of testimony as USFL’s first witness and denies that NFL tried to put USFL out of business.

June 2--USFL Commissioner Harry Usher takes witness stand to tell of NFL’s efforts to “choke off” USFL’s television revenues.

June 18--Economist Nina Cornell estimates USFL’s damages between at $301 million and $565 million over 10 years. If jury awards damages, the amount will be tripled as penalty for violating antitrust laws.

June 23--USFL owner Donald Trump says that in 1984, Rozelle offered him a team in the NFL if Trump would bar USFL’s move from spring to fall and drop plans for filing antitrust suit.

June 24--NFL owner Al Davis of the Raiders, a team formerly based in Oakland, testifies as witness for USFL, saying NFL tried to destroy USFL’s Oakland franchise.

June 25--ABC Radio commentator Howard Cosell says an ABC executive told him that NFL was pressuring network for sustaining the USFL with a television contract.

June 26--NFL opens its case by calling former USFL Commissioner Chet Simmons.

July 15--NFL economist Bruce Owen disputes estimates of USFL damages and claims that adjustments should give USFL no damages.

July 17--Rozelle takes stand again, this time as NFL witness, and denies Trump’s testimony. NFL rests case.

July 23--Attorneys offer summations in the case.

July 24--Judge Peter Leisure instructs jurors on the law, and the jurors begin deliberations.

July 29--Jury reaches verdict after 31 hours of deliberation; finds NFL guilty of monopolization but awards USFL only $1 in damages--when tripled, a $3 penalty against the NFL.