Regular NFL Refs Back To Work Tonight After Tentative Agreement Reached

After two days of non-stop negotiations, the NFL and the referees' union announced last night that a tentative agreement had been reached to end the lockout that dates back to June.

The agreement worked on salary, retirement and pension benefits. Average salaries could rise from $173,000 next year to over $200,000 by 2019.

The tentative eight-year deal is the longest involving on-field officials in NFL history. It must be ratified by 51 percent of the union's 121 members, who plan to vote Friday and Saturday in Dallas.

The negotiations came to a head after a controversial ending to the Green Bay/Seattle game from Monday night.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement that the the refs will be back on the field starting with Thursday night’s game between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. The referees will receive their game assignments for the rest of the weekend’s action on Friday, according NFL.com.