What is the primary aim of establishing a salary cap?

The primary aim of establishing a salary cap is to balance financial power between teams. This system is designed to promote parity in the league by preventing wealthier teams from outspending their competitors, thereby creating a more level playing field. With a salary cap in place, teams must strategically allocate their financial resources, which encourages competitive balance and allows teams with smaller budgets to remain competitive by acquiring talent rather than being limited to the wealthiest franchises. This approach helps to increase fan engagement and enhances the overall excitement of the league, as more teams have a realistic chance to compete for championships.

The other options do not align with the primary purpose of a salary cap. For instance, while ensuring players receive fair salaries is important, a salary cap does not aim to maximize individual player salaries but rather to regulate team spending. Limiting the number of players on a team isn't an objective of the salary cap; team rosters are usually managed by other league regulations. Creating a semi-professional league does not relate to the objectives of a salary cap, which is primarily aimed at regulating financial aspects of professional leagues.