After marathon negotiating sessions the past few days, the National Lacrosse League and the Professional Lacrosse Players Association agreed Saturday night to a three-year collective bargaining agreement.

The intense labor talks resulted from team owners' threat to cancel the 2005 season if a new labor agreement was not agreed upon by midnight Friday. The deadline was then extended as talks continued into early Saturday morning and then in the afternoon.

The last major sticking point in the negotiations -- revenue sharing -- did not turn out in the union's favor. PLPA wanted the three profit-making franchises (Colorado, Philadelphia, and Toronto) to help the other clubs.

What PLPA got instead was revenue sharing between itself and the league, with players receiving a cut of sponsorship deals and television revenue.

The players also get a 13.6 percent pay increase over the length of the contract, with four-percent raises in the average salary in each of the first two years and a five-percent hike in the third.

"We're thrilled we were able to come to an agreement," NLL commissioner Jim Jennings said. "With the possible continuation of the National Hockey League lockout, we feel that at this time we're poised for more exposure and the opportunity to show our sport to the world."

The NHL lockout -- increasingly expected to erase the entire 2004-2005 hockey season -- was a large factor in the owners' insistence that a collective bargaining agreement be settled earlier than later.

Last year, owners and players came to terms in December, just a couple weeks before the season was to begin.

This time around, there is no uncertainty. In addition to the labor settlement, no teams are relocating or suspending operations, so all eleven teams can immediately start promotional efforts.

PLPA president Peter Schmitz also saw the NHL's misfortune as NLL's potential advantage, but naturally was more concerned with how the players would benefit.

"Our position was that the deal was going to be fair and didn't want to rush to judgement just because we saw an opportunity to get on center stage," Schmitz said. "I think we all believe the sport has the legs to take it to the next level.

"I would be kidding you if I said it wasn't something the players association and obviously the league was thinking about, but you still have to have a good contract... I think this is a good deal for both parties."

Jennings and Schmitz have agreed to a new round of talks in the coming months, in the hopes of further extending the labor peace.