MISL Agreement Brightens Future of League

Major Indoor Soccer League owners and the MISL Players Assn. reached an accord on a new collective bargaining agreement Monday night, lending a great deal of hope for the future of the 10-year-old league.

The new collective bargaining agreement came several hours after the owners rejected, by a 4-3 vote, an offer made by the MISLPA last Friday. The new offer calls for:

--A maximum per team salary cap of $850,000 and a minimum cap of $750,000.

--Guaranteed player contracts to be lowered to no more than $90,000 per player by owners.

--Players to have the right to sign either 8- or 12-month contracts. This had been one of the bigger stumbling blocks, but the players prevailed.

--A four-year agreement with the players having an option to renegotiate the collective bargaining agreement if each team’s gross revenue average exceeds $4.7 million per year. Since each team averaged only $3 million in gross revenue last year, it’s unlikely this would come into play. But players wanted protection in case the league is able to sign a television deal during the next four seasons.

--Per diems to remain at $31 a day for the next two seasons.

“Both sides understand that this agreement will stabilize the league,” MISL Commissioner Bill Kentling said.

The league still must wait until Wednesday to hear whether a new group of investors in Tacoma interested in re-starting the Stars’ franchise is ready to go forward.

In addition, San Diego Sockers President Ron Cady said Monday night that San Diego businessman Ron Fowler will go ahead with a bid to purchase the team out of federal bankruptcy court. Cady said the new bid will be heard today.