All articles tagged with #cba
NFL players, led by NFLPA chief JC Tretter, cite a survey showing 92% of players (about 1,700) prefer grass to turf and are pushing for high-quality grass fields in NFL stadiums. Owners seek cheaper, multipurpose surfaces, so turning the tide likely hinges on concessions in the next CBA and on feasibility and cost of upgrading fields across venues that host football and other events.
The NFL Referees Association ratified a new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL by a 116-4 vote (about 96.7% in favor), signaling broad consensus and long-term stability for league officiating.
The NFL Referees Association is set to vote on a proposed CBA that would introduce a new official training program—including minicamps, training camps, and joint practices—along with increased league access to officials in the offseason and the creation of a broader bench of officials beyond the regular crews, signaling a commitment to improved performance and accountability and potentially avoiding replacement referees this fall if ratified.
Alysha Clark, the WNBA’s oldest player, has watched and helped drive the league’s transformation under the landmark CBA, moving from bench roles to a trusted veteran and union leader who helped secure seven-figure salaries, expanded rosters, and safer working conditions, while guiding a young Dallas Wings squad and balancing her on- and off-court influence with a now-ritual Media Day presence alongside her dogs Sly and Cecil.
Predictions for the WNBA’s 30th season center on a historic pay surge under a new CBA and two expansions shaking up rosters; the Las Vegas Aces remain the team to beat, with the Liberty, Sparks, Fever and Mystics in hot pursuit. Olivia Miles is the likely Rookie of the Year, and A’ja Wilson is the MVP favorite. The Mystics could surprise by reaching the playoffs while Phoenix is seen as unlikely to pace the league; the predicted playoff semi-finalists are the Aces, Liberty, Fever and Sparks.
Talks between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association have progressed to a ratification vote on a new CBA, scheduled for Thursday. If approved, regular officials would be used in September, potentially ending the need for replacement officials; the current CBA expires May 31. The league had begun onboarding replacements and had approved a March rule change to let off-field officials correct mistakes by replacements.
Sophie Cunningham signed a one-year, $665,000 contract with the Indiana Fever but says the deal length under the new WNBA CBA is frustrating; she’s coming back from an MCL injury and would have preferred more years to settle in Indiana, insisting money isn’t the issue—she just wants to win and prove herself.
The WNBA began free agency with 10 players receiving core designations, giving their teams exclusive negotiating rights. Under the new CBA, players with six years or fewer can be core twice, but seventh-season players lose core eligibility starting next year. Each core comes with a supermax offer from the player’s home team, though terms can be negotiated lower or via sign-and-trade (max about $1.19 million). Satou Sabally was notably not cored, and several teams (Aces, Mystics, Sun, Valkyries) did not core players, raising questions about roster-building under the cap; Nneka Ogwumike’s meeting with the Lynx signals potential star movement ahead of free agency.
The NFLRA accused the NFL of spreading false and misleading information about ongoing CBA talks, arguing officials are undercompensated relative to baseball and basketball umpires, lack health-care benefits, and were paid less for high‑profile playoff games than for regular-season games; with replacement officials and an expanded replay system looming, the NFL is pushing for concessions ahead of a May 1 deadline while the union seeks better terms.
After ratifying a new seven-year CBA, the WNBA announces a busy 2026 offseason: expansion draft on April 3 for Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo (protections due by March 29); free agency April 7–18 with signings starting April 12; the WNBA Draft on April 13 (Dallas Wings hold first pick; Azzi Fudd widely projected to go No. 1; top pick salary around $500,000); training camp begins April 19; preseason April 25–May 3; regular season starts May 8. The new CBA also raises the salary cap to $7 million with average salaries around $583,000 in 2026.
With NFL and the NFL Referees Association not close to a new collective bargaining agreement, the league has prepared replacement officials for the season. Talks began on Wednesday and concluded after the morning session, per CBS’s Jonathan Jones. NFL PR chief Jeff Miller said the league seeks the best officials, greater accountability, and performance-based pay. The NFLRA’s silence has persisted, and while making officials full-time would be costly, the league pushes to improve officiating and staff, a move that could affect games if no deal is reached.
WNBA players unanimously approved a seven-year collective bargaining agreement through 2032, with more than 90% voting; the deal becomes official after the Board of Governors approves and begins this season, setting up an expansion draft for Toronto and Portland, a May 8 season start, and a busy offseason featuring widespread free agency and college drafting activity.
After more than a year of negotiations, the WNBA and the WNBPA signed a seven-year CBA described as transformational, delivering a major pay overhaul (salary cap to $7 million; max salaries rising to over $2.4 million; average around $583k), a new revenue-sharing model tied to league growth (roughly 20% of revenue), housing guarantees for 2026–28 with later limits for higher earners, two extra developmental roster spots, potential schedule growth to up to 50–52 games, upgraded travel and facilities, and boosted player bonuses, signaling a new financial era for the league as it heads toward the 2026 season.
A new WNBA collective bargaining agreement raises rookie salaries across the board, with the No. 1 pick in 2026 set to earn a $500,000 base this season and escalating each year (to $520k, $572k, and $646,360 by the final year). The 2025 draftees’ scale is reduced by 4% for 2026, meaning stars like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers will see substantial increases under the new framework and could reach max or supermax levels as the league’s business grows.
The WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement includes a pregnancy-consent clause requiring teams to obtain a player's consent before trading a pregnant player, a provision prompted by past conflicts such as Dearica Hamby’s 2023 trade, highlighting pregnancy as a notable league storyline and protecting players in trades.