Pros and Cons of Debt Ceilings in Sports Leagues

In the previous article, we have already been introduced to the concept of debt ceiling as well as the various types of debt ceilings.

It is important to note that the debt ceiling strategy has some advantages as well as disadvantages. It is important to understand the details of both before implementing it.

In this article, we will have a closer look at the pros and cons associated with the implementation of the debt ceiling in greater detail.

Advantages of Debt Ceiling

The concept of debt ceiling is used in many sporting leagues across the world because it provides certain advantages to them. The details of some of these advantages have been mentioned below:

1. Finances of One Team Impacts All: It is important to note that different sporting franchises are competing with each other over scarce resources. This means that the same sporting franchises have to bid against each other to get the relevant players or sporting venues.

   If one team starts undertaking excessive debt, they will have more money to win these bids. Hence, they will gain momentarily even though in the long run, they are bound to lose. Now, such a situation will create pressure on the other teams to also follow the same path. Hence, the end result is that the franchises tend to get involved in excessive competition with each other.

   This competition is bad for the league since it creates pressure to overbid and inflate the value of all assets. Hence, in order to prevent this, the management of the sporting league needs to ensure that not even a single franchise is able to take on excessive debt. This is where the concept of debt ceiling comes into play.

2. League Reputation: Even though a sporting franchise is an individual entity, it derives most of its value by being a part of a larger sporting universe. Hence, the financial future of these sporting entities is intertwined with one another.

   There are many leagues across the world that also issue pooled debt. It is important for the management of the sporting league to ensure that there is no financial mismanagement and no default within the league. This is because the league wants to project a reputation that their finances are diligently managed.

   The failure to project a good financial image could cost all the other teams in the form of increased interest expenses and due diligence costs when they try to obtain a loan the next time.

3. Bad Publicity: It is also important to note that the media and the general population have a hyperfocus on the negative news coming out of a sporting franchise. The media is always on the lookout for any kind of scandal or wrongdoing by the sporting franchise.

   Hence, if there is any kind of financial turmoil or bankruptcy news about the sporting franchise, then it is much more likely to gain negative attention. This negative attention has a negative impact on the brand valuation that the sporting league has created. Hence, in order to prevent such loss of reputation, it is common for sporting leagues to strictly impose debt ceilings.

Disadvantages of Debt Ceiling

The debt ceiling is a good tool that can be effectively used by the management of a team. However, it needs to be understood that the debt ceiling is not free of disadvantages. There are several disadvantages related to the debt ceiling some of which have been mentioned below:

1. Favours the Rich Teams: It is important to realize that the debt ceilings are set up in such a way that the rich teams i.e. the ones with more profit or more revenue are allowed to take on more debt.

   The lower-ranked teams have to face significant limitations when it comes to raising debt. Hence, the existence of a debt ceiling makes it difficult for the lower-ranked franchises to raise more finances, improve their infrastructure as well as players on payroll, and compete with the larger teams. It can be said that debt ceilings in sporting leagues help create a system wherein the larger teams continue to stay on top at the expense of the others.

2. Limits Investments in Infrastructure: It is important for sporting leagues to ensure that a large amount of money is spent on infrastructure every year. This is because infrastructure deteriorates every year.

   Hence, leagues must spend consistently to prevent large expenses in the future. However, debt ceilings impose artificial restrictions on the amount of money that can be spent. Hence, teams are forced to choose between spending on payroll or spending on infrastructure.

   Since there is no immediate need to spend on infrastructure, such spending is not prioritized. The end result is that over time teams end up having poor infrastructure which negatively impacts the game in the long run.

3. May Lead to Outflow of Players: It also needs to be understood that it is not only the franchises within the league that are competing for players.

   There are franchises in other leagues as well which are looking to acquire name-brand players. This means that if the player’s compensation is artificially restricted by the debt ceiling, then it is likely that they will seek employment with higher compensation outside the league. If a large number of well-established players leave the league, then there can be a significant financial impact on the entire league.

Hence, it can be said that the debt ceiling can be either positive or negative depending upon the manner in which it is implemented by the management. It is important for the management to have a clear understanding of the pros and cons of this policy.