Part 1 In a Series of Comparing CBAs: Players & Lunch Money

by Graydon Ebert & Eric Macramalla

Yes, professional athletes get an allowance too. Despite the fact that the average salary in professional sports is well over a million dollars a year, players still get a little white envelope filled with money when they are out on the road so they don’t have to break out their wallets to buy a Big Mac.

In part 1 of our series comparing collective bargaining agreements, we look at the issue of lunch money and pro-athletes.

NFL players are entitled to be reimbursed for meals not provided by their teams during travel days in the preseason, regular season and post-season. Each travel day starts when a team leaves its home city and ends when the team returns. If the team leaves its home city after 2:00 pm for a game the next day and the team doesn’t provide dinner, the players will receive dinner money. If a pre-game meal on a travel day is after 9:00 am, the players will receive breakfast money. NFL players are entitled to $18 for breakfast, $27 for lunch and $45 for dinner. This means that if the club doesn’t provide any meals for an entire travel day, a player will get $90. That should just be enough to cover aps at Chili's for Albert Haynesworth.

MLB players are entitled to a daily meal and tip allowance for each day during the season that the team is on the road. Apparently baseball players need to be paid to tip people. The daily allowance may be reduced depending on when the team leaves or arrives at its home city. In 2010, the daily meal and tip allowance is $91.50. MLB players are also entitled to an allowance during spring training. Each player receives a weekly allowance of $267 and a supplemental weekly allowance of $45 (plus a cost of living adjustment in both cases). If the player does not live at the team’s spring training headquarters, he is also entitled to a daily meal and tip allowance of $75.50.

NHL players are entitled to a per diem meal allowance for each day during the season that the team is on the road. The daily allowance may be reduced or not paid at all, depending on when the team leaves or arrives at its home city. When the team provides game meals on the road, the player is only entitled to half of the allowance. In 2010-2011, the per diem meal allowance is $91.56. NHL players are also entitled to this allowance during training camp. However, the team has the option to provide breakfast and/or lunch at camp and deduct $12 and $15 respectively from the player’s per diem allowance.

NBA players are entitled to a meal allowance in 2010-2011 of $113 per day that the team is on the road. The daily allowance may be reduced depending on when the team leaves or arrives at its home city to account for meals that are not on the road. An NBA player will also be paid this meal allowance during training camp (from the opening of camp until the first exhibition game) if the player is not living at home and the team does not pay for meals directly.

Just to compare the major pro leagues to second tier leagues, MLS players were only entitled to $50 a day in per diem in 2009 (they also needed to explicitly state that if a player loses his money it won’t be replaced, which apparently is not obvious to a soccer player). The team can also arrange for prepared meals in lieu of paying per diem. So it’s sandwiches instead of porterhouses for the soccer players.

It is also interesting to note that in all of the leagues, a meal on an airplane does not count as a meal provided by the team. It is also important to know that any amount over federal guidelines for allowable reimbursements to travelling employees is eligible to be taxed as income.

Apparently, despite making millions, certain pro athletes are reluctant to spend their per diem allowance on food. While some use it on expensive dinners, others like NBA player Devin Brown, spend their per diem on entertainment like DVDs and video games. Craig Ehlo of the Cleveland Cavaliers bought his first washer and dryer with his per diem allowance. John Stockton was notorious for eating food reserved for the press to save his per diem. Nate Robinson saves his per diem by secretly adding his own order to his richer teammates’ room service bills. On the flip side, Antonio Davis used to give his per diem to team employees as a token of his appreciation. LeBron James has taken his per diem to Miami.

In the next part of our series comparing CBAs, we look at revenue sharing in the 4 major sports.