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Jacksonville Armada to play in 2018, but not clear when and what league

There will be Jacksonville Armada soccer in 2018, but when and it what league remains an open question.
PHOTO: Jacksonville Armada FC

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.- There will be Jacksonville Armada soccer in 2018, but when and it what league remains an open question.

Team owner Robert Palmer made the announcement in a Facebook Live news conference Monday.

The North American Soccer League where the Armada has played for the past three years is involved in a legal battle with the United States Soccer Federation over remaining a Division Two league (the highest level of minor league soccer). The league has postponed any planned play for this year until the fall and only plans to play if they win an injunction, allowing the league to keep its Division Two status.

Palmer said if the NASL wins the lawsuit and remains Division Two, then the Armada will continue to be a league member. Otherwise, he's committed to putting a lower division team on the field at Hodges Stadium.

"I'm committed to the city of Jacksonville," Palmer said during the news conference. "I'm committed to the fans."

Palmer cited a league that's planning to launch in 2019, the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), which plans to launch with third and fourth divisions in 2019 including fan progress, as a potential landing spot for the Armada.

Palmer did say he expects the Armada to play sooner than the potential fall NASL season but did not offer any specifics.

He also said he believes the mantra to go by is "team over league. Team over division."

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