Commissioner: “We may have 17 teams in ’17”

By Ryan Solis, PFL Columnist 

PFL Commissioner David Thomas has given the bad news to fans of three PFL teams. The money has run out for them and the League will not run them in the absence of a clear-financial outlay or strategy.

He said today, “We may have 17 teams in 2017. We are working with the teams an unions to find the best possible solution, but without changing league rules, we can’t say the teams are here to stay. I understand how disappointing that this is to fans of the three league members, but we can’t stand idly by, whilst teams avoid paying their players or conceal debts to us or the authorities. We act now to make this league a better place, to work in and to join in, to invest our time in.”

At the moment there are two outcomes for the teams- Suspension or Expulsion.

• The Victoria Panthers are already facing expulsion for their bankruptcy this year. The league have been paying 75% of the players wages since October.
• The Pottsburgh Cardinals and Amorgan Blues are appealing Court rulings on tax treatments that could render either bankrupt or in contempt of league rules. They both currently face indefinite suspension, though that could move to expulsion if they fail with their appeals.

The financial fair play rules were adopted in 2012, following the Eregon Eagles salary cap scandal, where it was revealed that under-the-radar payments were made and not declared for cap of tax purposes. The Eagles are still on probation, the rest of the league were put on notice to make sure that they conform back in 2012.