Jan. 31 (Bloomberg) -- National Football League players are prepared to strike to prevent a pay cut if owners demand a change in the contract in 2010, the head of the players' union said.

Gene Upshaw, executive director of the National Football League Players Association, said he expects management to opt out of the collective bargaining agreement in November.

That would set the stage for the league's salary cap to be removed for the 2010 season, and Upshaw said players won't accept less than the 60 percent of revenue they currently receive as salaries.

``It's very clear from what we see and from the owners beating their chests that they're going to terminate this deal in November,'' Upshaw said at a news conference tonight in Phoenix, three days before the Super Bowl. ``I can't convince players that they should make less so the owners can make more.''

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello declined to comment.

The current labor agreement, which was reached in March 2006, gave both sides the right to opt out in November. Several owners, such as Denver's Pat Bowlen, have said that the deal creates a disparity between teams in small markets and those in larger markets.

While teams share money from television broadcast rights and gate receipts, small-market teams earn less in unshared revenue such as local advertising or money from new stadiums.

Upshaw said a labor fight may result in the NFL losing its salary ceiling, or cap, which keeps the richest teams from buying up all the best players.

Salary Cap

If either side opts out, 2010 would become the first season without a cap since 1993. The contract expires in 2011.

``We'll never have another one again,'' Upshaw said. ``I know I'm not going to be the one pushing for another one.''

Upshaw said the union had prepared players for a strike, a lockout or other tactics, and said he wouldn't accept pay cuts like those National Hockey League players agreed to after a lockout eliminated the 2004-05 season.

``We're getting 60 percent of revenue and when it's all said and done, we're not giving any of it back,'' Upshaw said. ``I think they have to live with their 40 percent.''

The NFL, the most-watched U.S. sport on television, had revenue of more than $6 billion last year. It hasn't had a work stoppage since a players strike in 1987, the longest run of labor peace for any of the four major U.S. professional sports.

To contact the reporter on this story: Aaron Kuriloff in Phoenix at akuriloff@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 31, 2008 21:25 EST