CFL Expansion

[Big Z Man 1990]

The last time the CFL had over 9 teams was 25 years ago, when it experimented with teams in the United States. After that season, most of the American teams folded, while one, Baltimore, became the basis for the revived team in Montreal.

Once the pandemic has ended, the CFL will look at expanding. For purposes of scheduling, I think three teams will be added in the future. My top candidates are Abbotsford, Quebec City, and a team in the Atlantic portion of Canada.

This could lead the Labour Day Classic schedule to look like this:

Atlantic-Quebec City
Abbotsford-BC
Calgary-Edmonton
Hamilton-Toronto
Montreal-Ottawa
Saskatchewan-Winnipeg

Click to read more...

 

[Mightygoose]

There is a bid to put a team in Halifax headed by former Coyotes co-owners Anthony LeBlanc, Gary Drummond in addition to local businesses Bruce Browser.

The is condition funding approved (20 Million) towards a stadium bit it's on the back burner due to Covid.

There are no other realistic expansion possibilities but 10 teams will work fine.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

12 teams is ideal from a scheduling standpoint because then you'd have three geographic rivalries from each division to schedule on Labour Day weekend as I pointed out in my first post.

When BC had to play Montreal or Ottawa during that weekend, it seemed forced because BC did not regard either as a true rival. As it is now, BC is off on Labour Day weekend. I'm sure BC fans want a geographic rival of their own for Labour Day weekend, and that a team in Halifax would not be a real rival to them either. Halifax would get Quebec City as their Labour Day rival. A rivalry would also develop between Montreal and Quebec City, but it wouldn't be played on Labour Day weekend.

 

[Mightygoose]

10 teams still work for scheduling. It will remove the extra bye (play 18 games over 21 weeks), so they can shorten the season by one.

Labour Day match ups would still give 4 regional rivals. Can't see Abbotsford ever getting a team.


Friday Night: Montreal @ Ottawa
Saturday: BC vs. Atlantic*
Sunday:Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan
Monday Early: Toronto @ Hamilton
Monday Late: Edmonton @ Calgary

*The Saturday game could alternate locations each year. One year in Halifax and the next year in Vancouver. It's the battle of the coasts so each team can share hosting duties. Quebec City would make sense for team 11 but there's no appetite for a new stadium.

 

[ColinM]

The problem with expansion to Halifax is that the city is broke right now thanks to everything COVID. Nobody wants to pay for a stadium if libraries will be closed as a result.

Having said that I think Atlantic Canada could have a CFL footprint. If Husky Stadium at St. Mary's was expanded we could have touchdown Atlantic there on a regular basis. As such Halifax could be to the CFL as London is to the NFL. Maybe we don't have our own team but we could knock off a home date from a team that isn't drawing well on a given year.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

COVID won't last forever. Once it's gone Halifax can start the road to getting a CFL franchise.

 

[Mightygoose]

Halifax has already approved 20 Million for a stadium. Talks with the province and potential land owners still need the happen but it's on the back burner for now.

 

[ColinM]

I'm sure Nova Scotia's finances are typical of the rest of the Western World right now but here we are: Nova Scotia’s fiscal update projects $853M deficit as a result of COVID-19

Needless to say I think new priorities will be in order for a while.

 

[Boeser Fan]

Vancouver and Abbotsford both having separate CFL teams

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Vancouver and Abbotsford both having separate CFL teams

Abbotsford is the largest city in BC outside Metro Vancouver.

 

[generalshepherd141]

Is the CFL even gonna survive the next couple of years?

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I think Victoria or Kelowna would be in consideration for a team long before Abbotsford...

 

[BKIslandersFan]

I think Victoria or Kelowna would be in consideration for a team long before Abbotsford...

Isn;t Abbotsford too close to Vancouver?

 

[Boeser Fan]

Isn;t Abbotsford too close to Vancouver?

Yes.

 

[VictoriaJetsFan]

Halifax....excellent....Quebec...excellent.....Abbotsford...what the hell....

not even the best choice in BC...Victoria and Kelowna would be better..

 

[ColinM]

Is the CFL even gonna survive the next couple of years?

Maybe a team or two will drop but most of the league either has new stadiums or recently renovated ones. Those stadiums are not going away.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Halifax....excellent....Quebec...excellent.....Abbotsford...what the hell....

not even the best choice in BC...Victoria and Kelowna would be better..

I already said Abbotsford was larger than Victoria and Kelowna. City size does matter.

 

[kaiser matias]

I already said Abbotsford was larger than Victoria and Kelowna. City size does matter.

Only by strictly looking at city limits is Abbotsford larger than either Victoria or Kelowna.

The City of Victoria is a small area of the Capital Regional District, and most of the population lives in Saanich. The CRD as a whole has some 380,000 people, plus whoever else you want to count north of the Malahat (despite Duncan and the rest of North Cowichan being only a 20-40 minute drive, the road does deter people).

Kelowna's metro area is also over 200,000 people, but I won't say more on that as I'm not as familiar with it. Compare to Abbotsford, which has a metro population of 180,000. The entire Fraser Valley district is only 295,000, which is still less than Victoria and far more spread out.

 

[garbageteam]

Upon latest Stats Can estimates Victoria is over 400,000 and Kelowna is nearing 220,000. Abbotsford is a hair over 200,000. Victoria is definitely way bigger and Abbotsford doesn't really have the self-sustaining presence to be distinct from Greater Vancouver. I think much of the Fraser Valley eventually over time just gets swallowed by the region anyway, so you'd essentially be plunking two teams in Vancouver. The Lions' support is terrible already and doesn't need further dilution.

That said I don't think gridiron football is popular at all in Victoria/Vancouver Island so it'd need a much bigger population base to sustain. An Okanagan team could conceivably pull from Kelowna up to Vernon and down to Penticton, which should have a base of well above 300,000... still way too small even for the CFL. If the league continues to survive and there is appetite for growth I'd possibly sooner consider Saskatoon than BC on the west.

If the league can weather Covid it should focus all of its attempts on establishing the Halifax 10th team and not have any other distractions IMO. It really needs that presence to balance out the schedules and have representation across the country East to West.

I think it can work in the Atlantic provinces but whoever the owner is nowadays needs to be realistic with its stadium proposal and just scale it down to something minimally feasible with as little public money as possible just to get it off the ground. A few years later when it begins to turn a profit they can invest in upgrades. JMO.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Well Victoria can get BC's second team if the CFL goes that route...and they should, having 3 regional rivalries in each division would be great.

 

[ColinM]

slightly off topic but how is the CFL going to manage a $30 million loan, let alone manage expansion:

Report: CFL would use federal government loan to cover hub, player costs - TSN.ca