Fans of professional lacrosse won’t get to see the debut of the San Diego Seals next month because of a dispute with the players union, the league announced Thursday.
The National Lacrosse League canceled the first two weeks of the 2018-19 season because the league couldn’t come to an agreement with the Professional Lacrosse Players Association. One of the games affected was the Seals season opener, Dec. 8.
“It’s disappointing, first and foremost, for our season ticket members, fans, corporate sponsors and community partners who have been eagerly awaiting Opening Night for more than a year – they deserve better!” Seals president Steve Govett said in a statement.
The dispute is over how the players are compensated.
The NLL said its offer, which was rejected by the PLPA on Thursday, includes a 25 percent increase in salary and benefits for the players. The PLPA wants the players to have a better share of the profits.
“The hangup is over what we call ATR, which is Average Team Revenue, and the transparency that goes along with it that would require the franchises to provide, confidentially, information that we could assemble total revenue that’s generated off the players’ backs, essentially,” PLPA president Peter Schmitz said. “We’re available for discussion. We’ve made that clear.”
The league said what the players want amounts to a 400 percent increase in costs without the guaranteed revenue in return.
“We will not waiver in our promise to provide an unparalleled and affordable fan experience to San Diegans,” Govett said. “The last proposal presented to the players was a fair offer for both sides.”
Should the league and the players come to an agreement soon, the Seals season opener will be on Jan. 12, 2019.
Meanwhile, the will reach out to season ticket holders and anyone who bought a ticket to the Dec. 8 game for a possible refund.
The Seals is an expansion team of the 32-year NLL. San Diego was awarded the team in August 2017 and the Seals’ home games will be played at the Valley Casino Center.
