Ganito Pala KATAAS Ang SWELDO Nina Alyssa Valdez At Iba Pang Pro Players Sa PVL!

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How big have the salaries of PVL players become nowadays?

Salaries of some PVL stars are approaching PBA range – minus ‘under the table’ add-ons, of course

THAT the PVL has finally laid down plans of institutionalizing a salary cap and a rookie draft is welcome news, given how the country’s pioneering commercial volleyball league has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years.

From its beginnings as the Shakey’s V-League in 2004 to its rebranding as the Premier Volleyball League in 2017 to its pivotal move to turn pro during the pandemic, the PVL has grown to 11 local teams for its coming Invitational Conference while its top stars led by Alyssa Valdez have become the most popular athletes in the country.

However, some fear the PVL is becoming too big for its own good, citing a need to rein in the ever-growing cost of maintaining a team and zealously guard parity, to keep the league viable for member clubs and interesting for fans.

Fortunately, Ricky Palou, Sports Vision head and one of only three surviving founders of the league (the others are Rhea Navarro and lawyer Aga Francisco), has had quite an experience in sports management and can draw from his time as a top PBA official during the late Jun Bernardino’s time in charge to be able to address parity and salary issues before these get out of hand.

Palou admitted a rookie draft is long overdue and a salary cap is timely, given how salaries have skyrocketed the past few years.

“Yes, it’s becoming a concern,” Palou admits when asked about the prevailing rate for PVL stars. “We need to do something about it now, before it’s too late.”

So how big are PVL salaries these days?

To give you a proper perspective, a league old-hand tells SPIN.ph that salaries of PVL players that started in the P30,000 to P60,000 range during its early years as a commercial league have escalated dramatically, to the point that six-figure salaries are no longer surprising.

Dati pa ‘yon,” he says. “Malayo na ngayon.”

These days, even players from the middle-tier clubs are well compensated, a source says, and deals struck by a couple of stars have approached the PBA maximum of P450,000 a month – without the ‘under the table’ add-ons, of course.

The league barometer, of course, will always be Valdez, given that she is the face of the game and the league. Her salary at Creamline is a tightly guarded secret and little is known about her contract, except that she usually renews it after every three years.

Insiders bared that since the 29-year old’s role at Rebisco has evolved and expanded over the years, she is also extended other compensations, and justly so, on top of her rich endorsement deals outside the company.

Alyssa may be the league’s ephemeral star, but insiders bares she is no longer the highest paid player in the PVL in terms of salary alone. That distinction now belongs to one or two rising stars who have been lured to the league by mega deals.

Unconfirmed reports bared one prized signing was given a P500,000 a month salary on top of a P1M signing bonus. No one in the league could confirm the report, although two league insiders volunteers the real figure is closer to P400,000 a month.

Star players from two other teams, a source bares, were signed to P200,000 a month contracts and given brand-new cars as signing bonus. Other members of the clubs were extended the same signing bonus, the source adds.

Some of the fresh recruits of one league newcomer are set to sign contracts with six-figure monthly salaries that can go as high as P200,000 a month, an insider confirms.

Aside from salaries, one team official says it is standard league practice for players to be given practice and game allowances as well as won-game and other bonuses that are stipulated in contracts, just like PBA players.

What should be the PVL salary cap?

Given how compensation has risen the past few years, Palou estimates the cost of putting up one club for a season-long campaign in the PVL has risen to as much as P30M to P35M a year for the top-tier teams.

Although that’s still well below the annual budgets of PBA teams that insiders believe can go well over the P100M plateau for some teams in the SMC and MVP blocs, Palou warns about the urgency of implementing a salary or team cap to keep costs from spinning out of control.

Asked what maximum he is looking at, the former PBA player, banker, and Ateneo athletic director mentioned a P150,000 to P200,000 individual cap for a start next season that will be adjusted accordingly, depending on the clubs.

A grace period is also being eyed for players who receive salaries above the targeted cap, at least for the duration of their current contracts, Palou adds.

“Dapat nga, yung salary cap at rookie draft were already in place this season,” says Palou. “But some of the member clubs asked that they be given some more time to adjust before we implement it.”

Is he confident that PVL clubs will adhere to the cap?

“They will,” says Palou. “It’s for everybody’s sake.”