Salary Caps At A Glance

Sun., Aug. 21, 1994

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

Enacted: 1984.

Terms: 53 percent of defined gross receipts are committed to player salaries. The cap was $3.6 million for each of 23 NBA teams in 1983-84. In 1994-95, the cap is $15.17 million for each of the league’s 27 teams.

Duration: In place through three collective bargaining agreements. With the current agreement expired, the NBA Players Association tried to have the cap eliminated in a federal lawsuit. The league won the suit.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Enacted: 1994.

Terms: 64 percent of defined gross receipts are committed to player salaries. The cap this season is $34.6 million plus $4.4 million in benefits for each of the league’s 28 teams. The percentage drops to 63 in 1995 and to 62 in 1996.

Duration: Enacted as part of the settlement that ended five years without a collective bargaining agreement. In place for at least five more years, expiring after the 1999 season.

BASEBALL

Enacted: Not yet.

Proposed Terms: 50 percent of gross receipts, including players’ licensing income not now included, estimated at $2 billion. At 50 percent, after deducting $60 million for the players’ benefit plan, the average devoted to player salaries would be $33.6 million for each of the 28 teams. Baseball’s proposal guarantees payrolls of between 84 percent and 110 percent of the average, meaning teams would have a floor of $28.2 million and a ceiling of $36.9 million using 1994 estimates. In comparison, opening-day payrolls this year ranged from the San Diego Padres’ $13.4 million to the New York Yankees’ $45.8 million.

Duration: Owners propose a seven-year agreement with a fouryear phase-in. NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

Enacted: Not yet.

Proposed Terms: League played last season without a collective bargaining agreement and held its first negotiating session since March on Aug. 11 in Toronto. Commissioner Gary Bettman has said the league seeks three elements in a new agreement - improved competitive balance, fairness to players and owners, and a relationship between future overall revenues and players’ salaries.

“There are lots of ways to do this,” Bettman said. “Obviously, you could do a salary cap. But it doesn’t have to be a salary cap. The players seem to not want a salary cap, so that’s OK with me.”

Duration: Questionable.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.

Salary Caps At A Glance

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

Early response, Meyers' stellar relief outing propel Washington State past San Diego State, into Mountain West title game

Idaho has mixture of high school recruits, transfers and returning players after trip to NCAA Tournament: 'We are selling what we accomplished'

Mt. Spokane fastpitch wins program's first state title with 7-5 win over Sedro-Woolley: 'Did what we had to do'