The Vikings might not be losing a potential revenue source in 2010 after all.
Although NFL owners planned to dismantle the league's supplemental revenue sharing (SRS) pool in 2010, Special Master Stephen Burbank ruled Monday in favorof the NFL Players Association and keptSRSintact for the time being. ESPNfirstreported the story on itswebsite lateMonday .
The SRS pool was valued at $210 million in 2009 and $220 million for 2010 and has been used to help fund eight-to-12 lower-revenue teams.The Vikings have been a major recipient, getting about $15 to$20 million annually,because they generate among the lowest stadium revenue in the NFL playing in the Metrodome.
(SRS, by the way, does not make up all of the NFL's revenue sharing. Even without SRS, the NFL shares television and selected other revenues, giving each team about $140 million per year.)
The NFL notified its teams and the players association in December that SRSwould be going away in 2010. That is the final year of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA). As of right now, next season will be played without a salary cap.
According to the ESPN report:Burbank rejected an interpretation from the NFL Management Council that an owners resolution in March 2006 determined the SRS poolwas only required during years in which the NFL was operating under a salary cap.
The CBA requires the NFLPA's approval of any changes made to the SRSprogram, according to Burbank's ruling. The NFL, according to ESPN, will appeal Burbank's decision to the presiding U.S. District Court Judge, David Doty.
The New York Times, meanwhile, reports that the NFL and the players union will hold another negotiating session this week. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Sunday onthe NFL Network he expects the league will have an uncapped year in 2010.