“We’ve accelerated a previously planned decision to eliminate some ticket sales positions across groups as we look to shift the sales focus to 2021,” said Columbus Crew SC president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “We have also informed all full-time staff members above a certain salary threshold that we will implement a tiered salary reduction during this period of significant match disruption.” [Adam Cairns/Dispatch file photo] ▲

With no games until at least June 8 and perhaps a shortened season with limited or no fans in attendance, the Crew has joined a few Major League Soccer clubs in laying off staff and implementing pay cuts to save money due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A source close to the front office confirmed that the Crew on Friday laid off 11 sales staff members, with all full-time salaried staff above a salary threshold taking pay cuts. The news was announced in an all-staff Zoom call by the club's general manager Tim Bezbatchenko and chief business officer Steve Lyons.

The club has instituted a pay reduction of 10% to 20% for full-time salaried staff until mid-September, with top executives like Bezbatchenko and Lyons taking the largest share in reduced salary.

The pay cuts, however, apply to fewer than half of full-time Crew employees because more than half of the staff salaries do not meet the threshold for pay reductions.

Of the 11 positions eliminated, seven were temporary positions working with inside sales. Only the sales department was impacted by the layoffs.

The pay cuts include the technical staff, but do not apply to players, who are unionized. However, ESPN reported earlier this month that league commissioner Don Garber, deputy commissioner Mark Abbott and MLS Players Association board members have discussed the possibilities of cutting players' salaries while the league has been shut down since March 12 because of COVID-19 concerns.

Executives with the Haslam Sports Group, the official entity that owns the Crew and the Cleveland Browns, also are taking pay reductions, the source told The Dispatch. Employees working with the club for Legends, a New York based sports management company, are taking salary cuts, as well.

Bezbatchenko said in a statement that the Crew had planned to eliminate the sales positions with the merger of Legends, which is helping the Crew with sponsorships and ticket sales with the new downtown stadium, in order to maximize efficiency on its sales team. The pandemic sped up the timing of the elimination of positions.

"We've accelerated a previously planned decision to eliminate some ticket sales positions across groups as we look to shift the sales focus to 2021," Bezbatchenko said. "We have also informed all full-time staff members above a certain salary threshold that we will implement a tiered salary reduction during this period of significant match disruption. Throughout this period, our staff has continued to be tremendous in managing adversity caused by this virus, and we appreciate their resilience. During this challenging time, our thoughts continue to go out to all those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in our community and across the world."

The club has also implemented a hiring freeze.

With play suspended for at least another five weeks, other MLS teams could make similar cost-cutting decisions. Real Salt Lake announced its decision to lay off staff, reduce salaries and furlough some employees. D.C. United has furloughed employees and F.C. Dallas reportedly announced pay cuts for all staff while former Crew owner Dan Hunt will not take salary. MLS has done this too.

The Crew cannot train as a club through at least May 15. If that gets pushed back, it's plausible that the June 8 resumption date will be pushed back again, putting clubs into more financial uncertainty.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted all of our lives, including every business and sporting organization across the country," Bezbatchenko said.

"In light of this environment," he added, "it has become evident that matches played in front of fans are unlikely in the immediate future based on local and national health restrictions. This has forced us to make some extremely difficult decisions that we do not take lightly and are not reflective of the quality of the affected individuals or the magnitude of their contributions."

jmyers@dispatch.com

@_jcmyers