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If the CFL does move into the USA, facts are they could easily play in there because the league is in the summer not the winter. I would be careful and do the league in Alaska in the biggest city Anchorage, if it is big enough for a team.
@@caseysmith544 Travel to Anchorage would be crazy. Eventually when the population grows enough to handle a team from Prince George and Juneau or Whitehorse it would be more realistic.
Halifax is the obvious choice imo. The city is growing fast and is so eager for sport it’s insane. Always ranks near top in NLL and CHL attendance. Lot of football history with the Huskies, I honestly think it would consistently sell out. Need to figure out the arena tho.
As an American, I always find it odd how it seems Canadians are more interested in the NFL. Especially when the more exciting brand of football is north of the border.
One of the biggest problems with Canadians is that the can't enjoy things that are Canadians without Americans validating it first lol so please tell every Canadian you meet thank you
As a European who has seen NFL and CFL games, I can tell you that the CFL is the much better product. The NFL is so over-commercialized, like the top 5 football (soccer) leagues in Europe or the Champions League, that there are practically only tourists and fashion fans in the stadium. Very many here are turning away from such clubs/leagues and going to watch lower class, local or neighborhood matches just for the love of the game.
@@creedencebakken2686 Yes, I was in Barcelona for years to watch games and was a member of FC Barcelona. It's amazing how the stadiums of the top teams there are full of tourists - I had different people in my section at practically every game. Sometimes Chinese, sometimes Arabs, sometimes Indians etc. I'm also often in London or Sheffield (near Manchester) because I have family there. If the situation arises, I can go to a game with my family members. It's the same there with the top teams and the worst is when they play Champions League. I've also been to Munich to watch FCB vs BVB and nobody in my section spoke German...
@@creedencebakken2686 We will never see in the CFL/NFL a team with less investment, coming from lower divisions and winning the first division, that's why the European leagues are more interesting, even with dynasties.
Dude, you are a nonsense from a nonsense continent running your nonsense mouths. You have fans literally dedicating themselves in sun freezing temperatures , like in Green Bay and Buffalo to support their teams. While whole families literally have season tickets within their families for the their favorite teams, which makes an NFL ticket a very hard ticket to get due to the loyalty the fans have to their favorite teams. We are not like you nonsense Europeans, we are actually genuine and full of passion and dedicated to our teams which is why the NFL is able to sustain itself. But, please keep thinking you know us because you happened to watch a tv show. I wish I had the same deluded belief as you, but I'm forced to deal with actual reality. Non sense ridiculous deluded uneducated mediocred nonsense.
Amen to that! What sports fan in the province wouldn’t want to ignite a new, significant pro sports rivalry between the two cities? I would have to think that losing the brutal and monumental Habs/Nordiques rivalry nearly thirty years ago would at least be something to harken back to those halcyon years.
I agree with you, but Quebec City doesn't have a large enough stadium in order to make things financially viable. Same with a potential Maritime CFL team. And would those teams have a large enough fan base to maintain a franchise over the years? The rivalry between the two Quebec teams would be epic for sure!
London Ontario is likely the most viable Canadian city to expand with a new team. It has a city population of over 400k and can draw from the rest of Southwestern Ontario without stealing fanbase from Argos/Tigercats. The town has a long established football heritage with the University of Western Ontario Mustangs and numerous other teams existing in the pre CFL era. London is also the home for Labatt and most of the big insurers so you have homegrown sponsors.
@kylerose3174 disagree. The Argos could succeed in Toronto providing there's an interested owner. Moving them out of Toronto opens up the possibility of a Toronto NFL team. Once that happens, there's less demand from the networks to show CFL games, and we could very easily see expansion into a couple cities, which would undermine the CFL further. Expansion is the right move, but it has to be with an eye to those "second tier" cities (London, Quebec, Moncton, Saskatoon, etc)
@@kylerose3174Argos aren't leaving Toronto. The CFL not having a presence there would be hard to justify. That being said, I would love to see a team in London. I also think a team in QC and Halifax would help increase fanbase in both areas.
Biggest issue with them was they went too south. Shreveport had a following but it was not good. I have a hunch going more north of the border would help a CFL team, especially since they were on the right track not cross-pollinating with NFL cities.
I have lived in Western New York my whole life and I have to disagree that Buffalo would be a good CFL destination it would be close to most of the eastern teams for travel that being said I don’t think you really understand the love and loyalty Buffalo has for the Bills and another football team coming here would be seen as a second class team that wouldn’t get the support it would need to survive. The only way it would work would be if the Bills left Buffalo and with a new stadium being built that is not happening.
True but us Buffalo fans are very dedicated to all our teams, and with how expensive tickets are going to be at the new stadium I can see some people checking out CFL, especially since their seasons don't cross over that much
halifax looks like the perfect place, theres no teams further east than montreal and halifax would be the perfect place to enter atlantic canadas market
@@robertharinga8860 That group never had the money to build a stadium. Halifax said they would give some money after the stadium was already built by someone else. It was a scam to get people to buy tee shirts.
@@rocksandforestquiver959 What I was trying to get across was to go to a 16-game, 17-week schedule, give the Lions and Schooners a bye week on Labour Day, and cut the Crossover Rule for the Playoffs. This would cut down on travel and make it more economical for the League and its Franchises.
@@jacobfeldman364 I mean interesting general CFL take I guess but were we talking about travel costs? I just don't see the relevance. The OP was talking about expansion and schedule balancing as in more evenly distributed games between the conferences throughout the season. I also highly doubt any CFL team would ever vote for nixing the crossover - one extra cross country trip for a playoff game is 100% worth it. I'm pretty sure the most recent change to the crossover rule EXPANDED the possibilities for crossover games by giving the East the right to cross over to West.
We would have a team in Halifax but our city rather invest 110 million into an old hockey arena used by a university team than chip in for a new field that was proposed to be multi purpose that a cfl team could hold games
Great video! As an American, I had dabbled in the past in watching the CFL in the early 80’s when ESPN would show games and a little in the 90’s with the short lived American expansion. But I truly fell for the league this year with CBS SN showing games Friday nights in the US and I look forward to the next season. While I would love an expansion team where I live in NY, it probably wouldn’t be a good fit. I’m thinking that St Louis Missouri would be a great possible location as they have had successful NFL teams in the past.
Thanks for the kind words! It’s awesome to hear how you’ve gotten into the CFL more recently, especially with games being shown on CBS SN. I agree, St. Louis would be a strong potential market. With its history of supporting NFL teams and a passionate sports fan base, it could be a good fit for the CFL. Even though New York might be a tough market to crack, cities like St. Louis or even other midwestern locations could offer a great balance of fan enthusiasm and football tradition. Glad to see your interest growing in the league!
@@BoondockBrony St Louis probably isn't happening with the UFL team there though. CFL has a history of doing things cheaply and they'll most likely have to wait until the UFL folds or team up with the UFL once it gets established.
Windsor, Ontario, has produced some of Canada’s most notable NFL athletes, including Super Bowl champion TE Luke Willson of the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys defensive line captain DE Tyrone Crawford, and recently drafted New York Giants TE Theo Johnson. As the 15th largest city in Canada with a population of 250,000, Windsor is conveniently located across the border from Detroit, where the Lions of the NFL play. Many Windsorites are die hard Lions fans so giving them a team on their own soil would attract an immediate fan base. Windsor has many decorated teams such as the St. Clair Fratmen, along with the Essex Ravens and the University of Windsor Lancers. We are also home to the Windsor Spitfires Hockey Team of the OHL and the Windsor Express Basketball Team of the NBLC. This strong sports culture makes Windsor an ideal candidate for a CFL expansion team. Here are some potential team names: Windsor Stingers / Windsor Wasps - Reflecting our abundance of hornets, wasps, and bees. Windsor Warriors - A straightforward name that is easy to remember. Windsor Monarchs / Windsor Royals - A nod to Windsor’s namesake, the UK royal family. Windsor Tornadoes - A reference to the tornadoes that have touched down in the area. Windsor Sturgeons - Highlighting the sturgeon found in Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, and Lake Erie. Windsor truly embodies a passionate football culture, making it the best fit for a CFL team in all of Canada.
Expansion is critical to the CFL. One in the west and two in the east. Except for Alouette's ownership crying about exclusivity needs in Quebec, there's absolutely NO REASON to not put a team in Quebec city. A franchise would do well there. Halifax (and another western-based team) would be more tricky to establish, but would create more competition and solidify the CFL. The next commissioner needs to be aggressive with expansion. No one in 30 years has bothered to try with the any effort.
Ontario supports 3 teams and Alberta supports two teams so Quebec could easily support two teams as the second-most populous province in Canada. The Alouettes are basically owned by Videotron so a team in Quebec wouldn't hurt them. I agree with you 100%.
As a dedicated CFL fan from Saskatoon, I don't think an expansion here would work well. A large percentage of the folks here are huge rider fans, and would not switch to a new team just because they play here. Any potential rural fans that are interested in the CFL would already be roughrider fans, meaning most of the attendance would have to be from Saskatoon, which as already stated wouldn't be a lot. Considering the roughriders get about half their attendance from outside Regina (about the same size as Stoon), id be surprised if Saskatoon could get more than 15k fans consistently (potential for rider fans that would also choose to go to Saskatoon games as well). For the fans that they would manage to get thru the gates, you have 2 potential venues but either would need to be redone to fit much bigger numbers. SMF Field (host of the CJFL's Hilltops) currently holds around 5k, but would have the physical room for more stands if some tampering was done to the nearby golf course. It is a beautiful stadium and I would prefer it over Griffiths Stadium, however, it already has very limited access with only one road in or out. During busy events that take in 500 people or more, the traffic is already horrible, hard to imagine what it would be like trying to get 20k ppl in and out of there. The previously mentioned Griffiths stadium (host of the UofS Huskies in CanWest U-Sports) would be the more viable option. It currently holds over 6k and similarly to SMF, would have enough room for expansion to an acceptable CFL size. Unlike SMF, it would be much easier to get in and out of considering it is next to two major roads in College Dr and Preston Ave. Some of the land immediately surrounding Griffiths would need to be changed to parking space, but that would easier to convert than SMF that is cornered in by a Golf Course and many other sports facilities such as baseball and softball fields. Always the possibility to build a new venue instead, hopefully free of the problems that these 2 sites present. If Saskatoon ever does get a team I would be super excited and would hope for success, but at the current state I don't think expansion here would be my first choice for the CFL. That spot goes to Quebec City who I would love to get a pro team. Sorry about the essay lol
Great post. Quebec City has a strong fan base, a love of 3-down football, a budding rivalry with Montreal and potentially Ottawa. Les Patriotes would tap into Quebec history and has a great tradition in football. I think Les Patriotes would also attract healthy crowds in western Canada. Quebec City has the population, wealth and history of support for a professional team. The biggest issues are a stadium and having a Commissioner with connections in French Quebec. To me there is absolutely no contest: Quebec City should be priority #1 for the league.
I don't think the Riders would want a team in Saskatoon. A number of people who attend Riders games make the drive from Saskatoon. Saskatchewan's population is too small to have two CFL teams.
yea id say having a team in saskatoon is asking for both teams to cannibalize each others fanbase. the province is just not big enough to support 2 teams like that and saskatoon and saskatchewan basically would feel the same.
CFL games were carried on say CBS during the NFL strike of 1982. I was happy to watch Canadian football. Different rules but still good. Johnny Rogers had no problem with that action.
They were on NBC here in the States, not CBS. I'd like to see CBS have an expanded schedule on MTV and VH1. And maybe the CBC-Radio-Canada juggernaut could get back into the game when the current TSN-RDS contract ends.
Problem in BC is there is no city outside the Vancouver area that could support a team, Kamloops & PG at 100k, Nanaimo at 115k and Kelowna at 200k just doesn't get it done. Victoria at 400k has an outside shot, but the Lions would not be happy as I'm sure they consider the Island to Chilliwack as their local turf.
I really hope this video was meant to troll the CFL. Anyway, I live in Halifax. We were awarded an expansion franchise back in the early 80’s. At the 11th hour, the plug was pulled after the cost of a stadium began to rise rapidly & investors got cold feet. The most recent attempt at expansion was more talk than a serious effort to bring a team here. For some reason, the majority of people who live in Halifax are against progress. It’s embarrassing that a city with a 1/2 million population has no stadium to speak of. Meanwhile, just 2.5 hour drive away, the city of Moncton seems to be willing to do whatever it takes to get an expansion team there. With a population of under 200k, it seems doubtful that will happen. The league understands the importance of having a true coast to coast league, & seems to be waiting for Halifax to finally get its act together.
One other thing that needs to be said is really the next city that builds the CFL size Stadium is going to get a team. It's actually not much more complicated than that. We only have so many big cities with big Stadiums.
I’m an American living in Dallas, Texas. I’m a New England Patriots fan. I heard someone say an NFL team in Toronto was a remote possibility. I don’t want that to happen. Canadians have a great thing going with the CFL and I don’t want that harmed or diminished in any way. EDIT: I rarely watch the CFL, but when I do I root for Calgary because they use the same logo as my college team, the Southern Methodist University Mustangs.
This was years ago, but I read an article about how Canadians are more fans of the NFL than the CFL. However, the vast majority of Canadians are against an NFL team in Toronto if it was going to harm the Argos, which would certainly harm the CFL as a whole.
@@Anaris10 Most people are aware of that because it was the best time to be a CFL fan. We almost had a 3rd team called the San Antonio Riders. That would have been awesome!
Thanks for the video, nice to see some of the stats for the CFL laid out in a clean format, and good to see that the league is looking healthy. I do think the league needs to expand to 12, and I would like to see them dip their toes in the US market again. Personally I hope they finally go through with the Atlantic expansion, and I really like the Spokane shout out, though I disagree with your use of the actual city population, I think the Metropolitan area is a far better measure of potential size. That gives Spokane a population to draw from of 785,000 about the same as Hamilton. A place you didn't mention that I think could work is Grand Rapids Michigan, 1.1 Million metro, no big University program to compete with and no major pro teams, but lots of history as a minor league city and closeish to Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee if anybody feels curious about that wacky Canadian brand of Football
Thanks for the thoughtful comment! I agree, expanding to 12 teams and exploring the U.S. market again could be a great move for the CFL. Atlantic expansion is long overdue, and I appreciate your perspective on Spokane-looking at the metro area does give a better sense of its potential. Grand Rapids is an interesting idea too-lots of untapped potential with a solid metro area and no major competition from other pro teams. It’s definitely a market worth considering!
I think that Quebec City is the most logical place for a tenth team. College and High School football has taken over hockey as the number one sport. They have been selling out college ball games and the lack of an NHL team would make the CFL the best bet. As for expansion into the USA, maybe they should play some exhibition games at some of the cities that have shown some interest and see how the Americans react to the different rules.
The Federal and Provincial Governments won't pay for stadiums for rich owners. This isn't the US, that's why Canada has Universal Healthcare and the Americans don't. There are more stadiums in the US in comparison to Canada. That is why the US is the most logical reason for CFL Expansion.
@davidbuswa9425 the problem I see with the us expansion is I can't imagine the NFL exactly allowing The CFL League in without some kind of Agreement that allows a Canadian NFL team to exist somehow
CFL in the US, been there done that. Logical choice is Halifax, make it more appealing by giving a maritime name like Saskatchewan does and draw from surrounding area, New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland. Maybe do the Green Bay thing and play one off site game in St.John's annually to make them more inclusive as fans from NB can commute relatively easily to Halifax.
Been there done that isn't what happens in sports business today. There are many examples of teams going back to places where they were before. In the NHL for example, there was the Colorado Rockies and then they moved. Years later Quebec moved to Denver. Winnipeg had the Jets but they moved to Phoenix. Then Atlanta moved to Winnipeg after being in Atlanta for the 2nd time. They are talking about expanding to Atlanta again today. In the NFL Los Angeles has had several teams go back and forth to their city. Oakland to LA, Oakland to LA, St Louis to LA. Baltimore went to Indianapolis and then Cleveland went to Baltimore. Then they expanded to Cleveland. Halifax doesn't have a team because the people don't want to build a stadium that has CFL capacity. It's not the logical choice. CFL expansion in Canada is a fairy tale.
Saskatoon, Quebec City and Halifax should each have a team. Please, no US expansion. It never made sense. It was tried in the 1990s and it failed spectacularly.
The Roughriders are a Provincial team. A potential team in Saskatoon would never work. Saskatchewan only has a population of just over one million, and because of the small market, the entire Province can only make one CFL team viable in my opinion!
Are you from small town Canada? Because small town Canada must be VERY different from small town America. Every small college town you mentioned, despite proximity to the border, will support their college teams and nothing else. Are you not familiar with the CFL USA expansion in the 90s? They put teams in college towns across the South. They did well early in the season, but as soon as college season started, those CFL crowds DISAPPEARED. Because college teams in America are sacred and untouchable. The ONLY place where CFL USA succeeded was Baltimore, jilted former NFL city that EMBRACED the (eventual) Stallions to consecutive Grey Cups. Then CFL USA was abandoned, the Browns moved to Baltimore, and the Alouettes were reborn when the Stallions were forced to relocate BECAUSE THE NFL FORCED THEM OUT You want American expansion teams? So do I, but you're thinking small when you should think big. St. Louis. Oakland. San Diego. Like Baltimore, jilted by the NFL and ready to embrace their own team. The St. Louis Battlehawks are the best drawing CFL/UFL team is Exhibit A. Make the Atlantic Schooners a reality first and foremost, bring balance to the schedule, THEN move into those jilted American markets.
Quebec City. Just QC. Get to 10 teams and guarantee no further expansion for 10 - 15 years to give new team space to settle and grow. (that would be ideal). Keep it Canadian. 10 teams with QC creates 2 even divisions. You can play each team in your division 3 times a season (12 games) + each non-division team once (5 games) + 1 non-division team twice to even up the home and away games. 2 byes for each team in the season = 20 week season. If the season was expanded to 20 games per team you would simply add more non-division games over a 22 week regular season. 10 teams = No more ad-hoc byes, everyone plays every non-bye week (byes can be either no games at all or can be a split week of 5 games played over 2 weeks). Also the 2 byes can be spaced to maximise the benefit for player welfare. First bye after 6 or 7 games, then another 6 or 7 games to the second bye - everyone gets byes when they work best for player recovery. Moving from an 18 week 3 bye 9 team season to a 20 week 2 bye 10 team season would be tougher on the players but would give every team an extra home game and an extra 21 games for TV to show (100 games for TV over 22 weeks v 81 games over 21 weeks now). That is how it can be paid for...
As a America and a avid CFL fan I fully understand why Canadians would not want to expand into the US again. However I think it would be feesible to consider expanding into the Dakotas Montana These are markets have FCS college teams that are national powerhouses. Another fact is there are a good amount of former players from Montana, Montana St, North Dakota State and South Dokata St. are now on CFL rosters.
I think Rochester is a better choice than Buffalo. I can't see a CFL team sharing a city with an NFL team. You could also look at Milwaukee as they only have the Brewers and Bucks. Milwaukee and Rochester are both geographically close to the eastern teams which is convenient. One other city, Victoria, BC. Would be a great natural rivalry between the Lions and Islanders.
The US Cities You Listed Don't Have Direct Flights To Existing Franchises. Could Maybe Get A Team In St.Louis, Even Though It's Further Away, The People Of That City Have Shown Their Distain For The NFL.
You lost me when you started US expansion and the possible cities. Every city you mentioned would make the league look minor league. The CFL needs to think Canada first-and for now, only! Halifax should be Priority One. Quebec City, but you may have to move either Hamilton or Toronto to the West, because it will way too difficult to put a successful team in Saskatoon. I am a Texan who loves the CFL!
Quebec City should be priority one because it would actually work. The Atlantic Schooners have been talked about for literally DECADES but nothing has happened. Time to look at the largest Canadian city without a team and that's Quebec. It would bring balance to the CFL.
The CFL needs Halifax. Then, Victoria BC and Quebec City. Then, the CFL can consider the US. I agree with Spokane. But I think Rochester NY is a better choice than Buffalo.
Victoria is part of the Lions territory. It's like saying Saskatoon should be in the league. Quebec City has it's own problems. Search for "‘We can’t even think about it’: Rouge et Or president Jacques Tanguay sees ‘no infrastructure’ or private sector appetite for CFL expansion in Quebec City" by 3 down nation on the web. It's tough but if the CFL isn't open to international expansion they won't expand for at least 2 decades within Canada.
I am an American who has followed the CFL since the 1980s (when I spent summer vacations in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan CFL games were on the Canadian channel of the cable system)...long live the CFL!!!!
They should use their community focused league model as a selling point. Maybe they could have some shows that follow players or teams, like "hard knocks". Except, Canadian style. So everything is normal. And the personality of the players, staff and fanbase can shine.
CFL could definitely add a tenth team to the league but after that there's not really much else it can do expansion-wise. The league already tried expanding into the US in the 1990s and while it may have had some novelty back then, I really doubt that could be considered a viable option these days. As for internal changes, get rid of the divisions and reduce the number of playoff spots to four so that only the top teams get a shot at the Grey Cup. Add a tenth team and everyone plays each other twice, and of the ten CFL teams only the top four get into the playoffs, so no bad teams get a technicality of getting in because they won a weak division.
I agree about scrapping the divisions! So many years the West or East Final was the top two teams and the toughest challenge for the eventual Grey Cup champions. It would be awesome to have a structure where those match-ups were always the Grey Cup game!
@@slystally9874 I call your consolation bowl the "Kohler Bowl". Could be great for sponsorships. Winner gets the first round draft pick. teams with the worst records get the home game.
Not to sound rude, but bridges and a tunnel have existed between Windsor and Detroit for decades! How in the world is a new bridge going to open new markets?
There's a joke in America that goes "soccer is the sport of the future. Just like it's been for the last fifty years." From an outside perspective it feels like the CFL is the opposite of this. For thirty years I've been hearing the CFL is dying, the CFL should place teams in US markets, the CFL should adopt American rules, etc. Yet it keeps going on.
As, oddly enough, so has MLS. Sports can find their niche, and CFL has found theirs. Any expansion to the US should be to someplace like Rochester NY, just across the lake from T.O.
I think you forgot the exchange rate between the Canadian and United State's dollars and that the CFL tried this before in 1993 - 1995. Why do you think many NHL players want to cross the border? Interesting Victoria wasn’t considered for expansion if all those other markets were.
NHL players get paid in US dollars. a US franchise would pay In US dollars so it might be attractive to players. NHL players don't want to play in Canada because of taxes, not the CAD USD exchange rate.
I grew up near the US/Canadian boarder, so I had access to CBC television on the US side. It's a unique, great brand of football, but with its rule differences and field dimensions, it's not for a US audience, and by evidence of past failures expanding into the American market, it's a no-go stateside. A Gridiron Club World Cup could be a way of growing the game outside of Canada and providing more competition, but that would require some tweaks to the CFL rules seeing that most global semi-pro leagues have adopted American rules.
I think you still try it first though. It worked in Baltimore and to a lesser extent San Antonio. They had decent crowds even though it looked like they didn't because of the huge capacity. I'm okay with international summit in the off-season. There's a potential with flag football in the olympics. I think the CFL could use those rules to demonstrate their skill levels.
Quebec City has 800,000 people in the Metro area and earn some of the highest salaries in the province. They regularly attract 12,000-14,000 for the Laval University Rouge & Or CIAU games, over 20,000 with added seating when they face off against the University of Montreal Carabins. Quebec has everything the CFL needs except for a viable stadium. If the new Commissioner has any connections in French Quebec, he can get this done.
Halifax can't have a team unless a 25K stadium is built, and have at least 20K season ticket subscribers! Otherwise it won't work! And that is the main reason why the proposed ''Halifax Schooners'' CFL team in 1984, never 'left port'
St Louis. CFL has been talking about Maritimes expansion for 40 years now, time to cut bait. Yes, the previous US expansion was a disaster, but Baltimore proved it could be done.
The league's been serious about Halifax the city just can't sort itself out and understand that a CFL-sized stadium would be useful for so much more than just CFL. It's a huge shame but the population here is growing pretty steadily and I hope the government of the province and city can eventually figure something out.
Expansion for sure! In my opinion, the CFL needs a team in the Maritime Provinces, specifically Halifax, Nova Scotia. A 25,000 seat stadium located near the downtown (possibly on the Dartmouth side and next to the river), i.e. a destination type of situation would be ideal IMO. It's my belief that the entire population of the Maritime provinces would be the target-market for the team. Affordable season tickets initially for building a fan base and inexpensive (cheap) tickets for kids under 14, would help fill the stadium with current and future fans. Yes, I DID hear the statistics cited in this video, but the smaller available percentages of people living in the areas would help to build the fan base I'm referring to. It's happened in many many other football cities (Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego, Cincinnati, New Orleans, etc). I don't feel that expansion into the US would be a good move, as it was tried before but didn't succeed.
The CFL needs a tenth team. I think the CFL should expand into St. Louis because the UFL won't last beyond 2026. I believe Quebec City and London, Ontario are better candidates for expansion than Halifax. Halifax had their chance and they dropped the ball on acquiring a CFL team. The US TV deal with CBS has improved. The network has acquired the broadcast rights to this year's 111th Grey Cup in Vancouver because they didn't include the GC in it's initial broadcast schedule when the deal was announced, meaning that CBS liked the ratings for airing CFL games on it's sport network during the summer. The TV contract with TSN is up for renegotiation after 2026. So the TV money should see an increase in revenue when TV ratings have increased on TSN. Things are looking up for the CFL. We shall see what the new CFL Commissioner has in store for the CFL as Randy Ambrosie tenure was not renewed by the CFL Board of Governors
I'm glad you said Buffalo I've always thought that i would also suggest Burlington Vermont nice and close to Montreal iand Ottawa. I like Spokane and Sioux Falls great suggestions to round it out.
@@caseysmith544 It might work in Buffalo in the summer as weather is in the 70s/80s and teh city needs a football fix. But when the Bills seasons start, Buffalo CFL would be non-existent for the last third of the season. Buffalo residents are too focused on keeping the Bills in Buffalo. They dont have time for a 2nd team. Only way is if Bills were relocated. Buffalo would then clamor for a CFL team.
@@RichV20 I'd front end load the home games. 3 in June, 3 in July 2 in August and 1 in September. 19 week regular season. 2025 week 13 is labour day. Having 1 home game in the last 6 weeks isn't super awesome. I wouldn't necessarily try to go to NY first either because there are obviously better spots. However, it would be better if a potential CFL owner partnered with UB football program in Amhurst. after they looked everywhere else. That's just my whacky opinion
@@theodoreking8468 UB Alumni Stadium would probably be a better fit for CFL Bills. It seats 30,000. Ample parking in the summer and weekends. One of the few D-1 football stadiums with a running track, which means it could fit a CFL field, unlike Bills Stadium.
Only Quebec City is viable in Canada and I don't think that ANY franchise in the USA would work because of the import/non-import player rules. Having said that, if I had to chose US locations, I think Portland, Oregon, Hartford, Connecticut and Baltimore, Maryland would be the most ideal. Baltimore still has tonnes of CFL fans from the days of the Baltimore Stallions.
too far away. Farthest distance between two neighbouring CFL cities is around 700 km by air. Anchorage and Vancouver are 2k kilometers apart. Also lack of stadium in Anchorage.
It's a lot of pressure to decide whether you're going for it or punting on 3rd down. It means that essentially you only have two downs to move the ball. Regarding expansion into the US it would most likely have to be tv markets along the border that have been ignored by the NFL. The CFL isn't going to get anywhere by expanding into deep inland markets like Alabama or Nebraska because the love for American football there runs just too strong. Border areas may be more likely to receive CFL telecasts and have more of a fanbase.
I don’t watch it often but everytime I watch the CFL it’s honestly super fun game play wise might be better than the NFL. Honestly hope it succeeds so more see it
As an American CFL fan, I was bummed that I didn’t get to watch my Argo’s this year. I’ve gotten so used to the CFL being broadcasted on ESPN here in the States, especially since ESPN and TSN are basically the same company. I really had no idea the CFL was on CBS. My guess is the CFL lost viewership in the US because of that.
The biggest hurdle for American expansion is one that the previous expansion 30 years ago exposed: American teams would not be subject to the Canadian teams' mandates for X-amount of Canadian players. They'd be free to stock their teams with college players and ex-NFLers - like the 1995 Grey Cup Champion Baltimore (Colts!) did. A competent front office could quickly build a dominant CFL team.
less Canadians start today and the Canadians that do start are better. They would have to change some things in the CFL first. 1. Salary cap based on cost of living. ie American cap would be smaller. 2. restricted free agency. Can't have a great exodus of players going south. That's going to be difficult to get by the CFLPA but it might work if you offer more guaranteed contracts. 3. American draft instead of the neg list. Competent staff happened with Baltimore because they had hall of fame HC Don Matthews and GM Jim Popp. Each generation has 1 or 2 elite coaches. The rest are fairly average. Hall of fame coaches don't grow on trees. For example, if we had American expansion today, I might be worried if O'shea, Maas and Dinwiddie went south but it's their team's responsibility to have them on long term contracts. For example, the reason Flutie stayed in Calgary was because Ryckman made sure Doug signed on the dotted line first. Worst case scenario one of those guys broke free, the one thing they all have in common is loyalty to their players. Eventually players break down and they don't perform. Also Calgary choked in 1995 and they choked in several Grey Cups after that one.
Love the CFL and the rules. I just have trouble with only 19 Americans can be on the rosters. But other than that its a great. I think if the US population start watching the CFL they will fall in love with it also. Its not better then the NFL, but it's so unique. With the 12 players, big end zone, 3 downs and the goal post on the goal line. Expansion ... The Buffalo New York area would be perfect US team. New York United Stars , a true AMERICAN TEAM. I believe the CFL only needs 12 teams. I also believe the NFL will have a team in Toronto in the near future. That's when the CFL expansion into other parts of the US.
@@theodoreking8468 There is no reason. Makes no sense for either league. Keep them separate. NO MERGER . NO CHAMP vs CHAMP . Different rules , different times of the season. 18 games vs 10 games. It is not a money maker for the CFL.
@@allanross611 Totally would be. NFL vs CFL happened in the 60's. It was huge money for the CFL. I didn't say merger though. That was your idea. CFL will eventually become more American. It's been slowly going that way since 1929 when they legalized the forward pass.
if you can't even get Halifax to want an expansion team (and it's been DECADES that this has been talked about), you can forget about any U.S. expansion. assuming Halifax can never get its act together, the CFL should look at Quebec or London.
I can see teams in Quebec, Halifax and London, but of course getting a 24k stadium is the difficult part. The NFL is so strong in the US, not sure if this would work. Maybe Portland OR with 600k+ population, but they of course have deep roots in NCAA football
I am an American & enjoy the CFL. I like the idea of a franchise for the CFL in Halifax. I also would like the Edmonton Elks to change there mascot name to the Edmonton Tundra!
I don't see two teams in Atlantic. I would build a stadium just North of Halifax so fans from NB and PEI can come easily and name the team "Atlantic" Whatevers for inclusivity of three provinces
San Antonio(Alamodome), Los Angeles(the Olympic Colosseum) New York(Wein Stadium) Philadelphia(Franklin Field) or any stadium with an oval track inside it.
Any Major League Soccer stadium can accommodate CFL football (thanks to the Toronto Argonauts playing their home games at Toronto FC’s home, BMO Field).
@@davidbuswa9425 I doubt the CFzl would go to San Antonio nowadays, or Philadelphia, or really any MLS stadium if they would bother.. especially one with grass.
@@riccorich The CFL would go to San Antonio if they could find an owner to buy a franchise there. San Antonio has to be willing, can't be gifted a team like what the UFL did there. The UFL has been saying it wants to sell UFL teams to private owners, but so far they haven't found any. But it's okay for the DC Defenders to play in an MLS stadium with grass, but not a CFL team. I got news for you,the Toronto Argonauts play in MLS stadium(BMO Field) it shares with Toronto FC. It has a heated grass field and the field holds up to gridiron action. BTW, soccer tears up the grass field too.
I love the CFL, and the league has always somehow managed to survive the bleeding and concerns about viability... precariously... but as time goes on, and crowds shrink, I'm really getting worried about the future. It would be awesome if Halifax or QC joined as #10, but unless someone with really deep pockets steps up to make it finally happen, I think ONE POSSIBLE OPTION is to change the name to "3FL" and invite a few American cities back in. Keep the rules and field size intact. Sure, losing the C is a tough compromise, but by naming the league after the distinctive 3 downs, it could make it a lot more welcoming to American fans while losing none of the flavour. Anchorage, Spokane, Grand Rapids. And again, if some incredibly wealthy benefactor would be willing to fund decent 25k stadiums in Victoria, Saskatoon, and Halifax, it could be a massive catalyst. And when I watch the NFL, the tiny field makes it look like they play in a gymnasium... or a basement. ;p
Yes vote to try Spokane, Grand Rapids. No vote to try: Anchorage, Victoria, Saskatoon, and Halifax. I would also try within 200 km of Detroit (this includes London and Windsor), Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Columbus, Cleveland, & Cincinnati,
@@theodoreking8468 Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Columbus, Cleveland, & Cincinnati? Man, save for Columbus, those are all deeply entrenched NFL cities. Not a chance. ;P
Moncton only having 80k population, if you put a team there there's like half a dozen places in ontario that could also support a team like Kingston, Kintchener-Waterloo, Windsor...
I’m from Buffalo and I clicked the video because Canada is very close. I think a team in Niagara Falls, Ontario would do well. It would be hard to advertise to American fans. If its in Niagara Falls, NY it would draw in more people from both sides
@ yeah the Falls wouldnt work I was going to come back to this they would have to build one or use the one in orchard park. Its not realistic to happen it would be cool to see a game come to WNY though.
All of these Ideas sound pretty good except Buffalo and possibly Boise. I Would like a team in Spokane and Fargo along with Quebec City, Halifax and Saskatoon in Canada
I always watched Canadian football when I was kid. It was on every Saturday night, andbI liked the different rules they had. I m don't see why they don't put it on TV in the states anymore.
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If the CFL does move into the USA, facts are they could easily play in there because the league is in the summer not the winter. I would be careful and do the league in Alaska in the biggest city Anchorage, if it is big enough for a team.
@@caseysmith544 Travel to Anchorage would be crazy. Eventually when the population grows enough to handle a team from Prince George and Juneau or Whitehorse it would be more realistic.
I’m from the USA I love the CFL for the different rules. I want the league to do well
Halifax is the obvious choice imo. The city is growing fast and is so eager for sport it’s insane. Always ranks near top in NLL and CHL attendance. Lot of football history with the Huskies, I honestly think it would consistently sell out. Need to figure out the arena tho.
Until city gets rid of socialist councillors, no Stadium will be built in Halifax.
Eck is a CFL fan? Lore building.
The rare Star Wars RUclipsr appearance in a football comment section 0_o
As an American, I always find it odd how it seems Canadians are more interested in the NFL. Especially when the more exciting brand of football is north of the border.
It wasn't always that way, started in the mid 80's. But TSN exclusively doing broadcasts meant no other networks even talk about their CFL teams.
Well, its simple really, we have a lot of idiots in our country, the same as the USIA.
I agree,glad you like this brand of football, unfortunately Canadians see the money the NFL players make and think it must be better
@@glenimlach1892the players ARE better in the NFL. That being said, the Canadian game is so much more exciting.
One of the biggest problems with Canadians is that the can't enjoy things that are Canadians without Americans validating it first lol so please tell every Canadian you meet thank you
As a European who has seen NFL and CFL games, I can tell you that the CFL is the much better product. The NFL is so over-commercialized, like the top 5 football (soccer) leagues in Europe or the Champions League, that there are practically only tourists and fashion fans in the stadium. Very many here are turning away from such clubs/leagues and going to watch lower class, local or neighborhood matches just for the love of the game.
Couldn’t of said this better
The champions league, Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 do not have mainly tourists in the stadium. 💀
@@creedencebakken2686 Yes, I was in Barcelona for years to watch games and was a member of FC Barcelona. It's amazing how the stadiums of the top teams there are full of tourists - I had different people in my section at practically every game. Sometimes Chinese, sometimes Arabs, sometimes Indians etc. I'm also often in London or Sheffield (near Manchester) because I have family there. If the situation arises, I can go to a game with my family members. It's the same there with the top teams and the worst is when they play Champions League. I've also been to Munich to watch FCB vs BVB and nobody in my section spoke German...
@@creedencebakken2686 We will never see in the CFL/NFL a team with less investment, coming from lower divisions and winning the first division, that's why the European leagues are more interesting, even with dynasties.
Dude, you are a nonsense from a nonsense continent running your nonsense mouths. You have fans literally dedicating themselves in sun freezing temperatures , like in Green Bay and Buffalo to support their teams. While whole families literally have season tickets within their families for the their favorite teams, which makes an NFL ticket a very hard ticket to get due to the loyalty the fans have to their favorite teams.
We are not like you nonsense Europeans, we are actually genuine and full of passion and dedicated to our teams which is why the NFL is able to sustain itself. But, please keep thinking you know us because you happened to watch a tv show. I wish I had the same deluded belief as you, but I'm forced to deal with actual reality. Non sense ridiculous deluded uneducated mediocred nonsense.
Quebec City needs a team. Montreal/Quebec City on Labour Day would be huge.
Amen to that! What sports fan in the province wouldn’t want to ignite a new, significant pro sports rivalry between the two cities? I would have to think that losing the brutal and monumental Habs/Nordiques rivalry nearly thirty years ago would at least be something to harken back to those halcyon years.
Nobody cares about the very canadian league that is CFL in Quebec city. It's a canadian league or English speaking league.
I agree with you, but Quebec City doesn't have a large enough stadium in order to make things financially viable. Same with a potential Maritime CFL team. And would those teams have a large enough fan base to maintain a franchise over the years? The rivalry between the two Quebec teams would be epic for sure!
Or a Montreal,/Quebec City game on the St John Baptiste Day
Language barrier. Would the players in QC be offered translation services? Was this a problem for those who played for the Nordiques?
London Ontario is likely the most viable Canadian city to expand with a new team. It has a city population of over 400k and can draw from the rest of Southwestern Ontario without stealing fanbase from Argos/Tigercats. The town has a long established football heritage with the University of Western Ontario Mustangs and numerous other teams existing in the pre CFL era. London is also the home for Labatt and most of the big insurers so you have homegrown sponsors.
I agree with London getting a team, but not through expansion.
The Argos should relocate there and rebrand as the Ontario Argos.
@kylerose3174 disagree. The Argos could succeed in Toronto providing there's an interested owner. Moving them out of Toronto opens up the possibility of a Toronto NFL team. Once that happens, there's less demand from the networks to show CFL games, and we could very easily see expansion into a couple cities, which would undermine the CFL further. Expansion is the right move, but it has to be with an eye to those "second tier" cities (London, Quebec, Moncton, Saskatoon, etc)
😂@@kylerose3174
@@kylerose3174Argos aren't leaving Toronto. The CFL not having a presence there would be hard to justify.
That being said, I would love to see a team in London.
I also think a team in QC and Halifax would help increase fanbase in both areas.
I. Believe that games should be played there atleast once a. Season. Once the demand is there the investors will commit to it.
No U.S. expansion, the CFL tried that and it failed miserably. They should focus on growing the canadian market.
It actually succeeded in Baltimore, but the import/non-import rules make it next to impossible.
That's true! However, the arrival of the Ravens really sealed the CFL's fate in Baltimore.
Biggest issue with them was they went too south. Shreveport had a following but it was not good. I have a hunch going more north of the border would help a CFL team, especially since they were on the right track not cross-pollinating with NFL cities.
@@BoondockBrony Shreveport and San Antonio. Memphis showed up for the first couple of games, but day games in July in that region? Hell and no!
Actually, it was a big success in Baltimore. So big that they won a Grey Cup AND the city got an NFL team.
I have lived in Western New York my whole life and I have to disagree that Buffalo would be a good CFL destination it would be close to most of the eastern teams for travel that being said I don’t think you really understand the love and loyalty Buffalo has for the Bills and another football team coming here would be seen as a second class team that wouldn’t get the support it would need to survive. The only way it would work would be if the Bills left Buffalo and with a new stadium being built that is not happening.
True but us Buffalo fans are very dedicated to all our teams, and with how expensive tickets are going to be at the new stadium I can see some people checking out CFL, especially since their seasons don't cross over that much
Where would Argo fans go to watch football ???
P.S. I’m a huge CFL fan
It’s a joke about a bigger joke
I'm looking at Halifax.
From what I remember, the wheels were in motion for a proposed 25K stadium to be built in the Halifax area, but then Covid-19 derailed the plans.
halifax looks like the perfect place, theres no teams further east than montreal and halifax would be the perfect place to enter atlantic canadas market
@@robertharinga8860 That group never had the money to build a stadium. Halifax said they would give some money after the stadium was already built by someone else. It was a scam to get people to buy tee shirts.
Add a team from Halifax. At least this would make the schedule perfect for all the teams playing each other twice, home and away per season.
It would make Labour Day matchups great too - Mtl and Ottawa could become annual and Halifax plays BC
@@rocksandforestquiver959 Or shorten the season and get rid of the crossover rule.
@@jacobfeldman364 I don't see what that has to do with anything we're talking about
@@rocksandforestquiver959 What I was trying to get across was to go to a 16-game, 17-week schedule, give the Lions and Schooners a bye week on Labour Day, and cut the Crossover Rule for the Playoffs. This would cut down on travel and make it more economical for the League and its Franchises.
@@jacobfeldman364 I mean interesting general CFL take I guess but were we talking about travel costs? I just don't see the relevance. The OP was talking about expansion and schedule balancing as in more evenly distributed games between the conferences throughout the season. I also highly doubt any CFL team would ever vote for nixing the crossover - one extra cross country trip for a playoff game is 100% worth it. I'm pretty sure the most recent change to the crossover rule EXPANDED the possibilities for crossover games by giving the East the right to cross over to West.
We would have a team in Halifax but our city rather invest 110 million into an old hockey arena used by a university team than chip in for a new field that was proposed to be multi purpose that a cfl team could hold games
Great video! As an American, I had dabbled in the past in watching the CFL in the early 80’s when ESPN would show games and a little in the 90’s with the short lived American expansion. But I truly fell for the league this year with CBS SN showing games Friday nights in the US and I look forward to the next season. While I would love an expansion team where I live in NY, it probably wouldn’t be a good fit. I’m thinking that St Louis Missouri would be a great possible location as they have had successful NFL teams in the past.
Thanks for the kind words! It’s awesome to hear how you’ve gotten into the CFL more recently, especially with games being shown on CBS SN. I agree, St. Louis would be a strong potential market. With its history of supporting NFL teams and a passionate sports fan base, it could be a good fit for the CFL. Even though New York might be a tough market to crack, cities like St. Louis or even other midwestern locations could offer a great balance of fan enthusiasm and football tradition. Glad to see your interest growing in the league!
@@sportstagator4457 St Louis is definately a prime target for football. I think that is the most south the CFL should go.
@@BoondockBrony St Louis probably isn't happening with the UFL team there though. CFL has a history of doing things cheaply and they'll most likely have to wait until the UFL folds or team up with the UFL once it gets established.
Windsor, Ontario, has produced some of Canada’s most notable NFL athletes, including Super Bowl champion TE Luke Willson of the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys defensive line captain DE Tyrone Crawford, and recently drafted New York Giants TE Theo Johnson. As the 15th largest city in Canada with a population of 250,000, Windsor is conveniently located across the border from Detroit, where the Lions of the NFL play. Many Windsorites are die hard Lions fans so giving them a team on their own soil would attract an immediate fan base.
Windsor has many decorated teams such as the St. Clair Fratmen, along with the Essex Ravens and the University of Windsor Lancers. We are also home to the Windsor Spitfires Hockey Team of the OHL and the Windsor Express Basketball Team of the NBLC. This strong sports culture makes Windsor an ideal candidate for a CFL expansion team.
Here are some potential team names:
Windsor Stingers / Windsor Wasps - Reflecting our abundance of hornets, wasps, and bees.
Windsor Warriors - A straightforward name that is easy to remember.
Windsor Monarchs / Windsor Royals - A nod to Windsor’s namesake, the UK royal family.
Windsor Tornadoes - A reference to the tornadoes that have touched down in the area.
Windsor Sturgeons - Highlighting the sturgeon found in Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, and Lake Erie.
Windsor truly embodies a passionate football culture, making it the best fit for a CFL team in all of Canada.
Expansion is critical to the CFL. One in the west and two in the east. Except for Alouette's ownership crying about exclusivity needs in Quebec, there's absolutely NO REASON to not put a team in Quebec city. A franchise would do well there. Halifax (and another western-based team) would be more tricky to establish, but would create more competition and solidify the CFL. The next commissioner needs to be aggressive with expansion. No one in 30 years has bothered to try with the any effort.
Ontario supports 3 teams and Alberta supports two teams so Quebec could easily support two teams as the second-most populous province in Canada. The Alouettes are basically owned by Videotron so a team in Quebec wouldn't hurt them. I agree with you 100%.
@@AvroBellow Problem is Tanguay at Laval University doesn't want the competition and the stadium isn't CFL quality.
As a dedicated CFL fan from Saskatoon, I don't think an expansion here would work well. A large percentage of the folks here are huge rider fans, and would not switch to a new team just because they play here. Any potential rural fans that are interested in the CFL would already be roughrider fans, meaning most of the attendance would have to be from Saskatoon, which as already stated wouldn't be a lot. Considering the roughriders get about half their attendance from outside Regina (about the same size as Stoon), id be surprised if Saskatoon could get more than 15k fans consistently (potential for rider fans that would also choose to go to Saskatoon games as well).
For the fans that they would manage to get thru the gates, you have 2 potential venues but either would need to be redone to fit much bigger numbers. SMF Field (host of the CJFL's Hilltops) currently holds around 5k, but would have the physical room for more stands if some tampering was done to the nearby golf course. It is a beautiful stadium and I would prefer it over Griffiths Stadium, however, it already has very limited access with only one road in or out. During busy events that take in 500 people or more, the traffic is already horrible, hard to imagine what it would be like trying to get 20k ppl in and out of there. The previously mentioned Griffiths stadium (host of the UofS Huskies in CanWest U-Sports) would be the more viable option. It currently holds over 6k and similarly to SMF, would have enough room for expansion to an acceptable CFL size. Unlike SMF, it would be much easier to get in and out of considering it is next to two major roads in College Dr and Preston Ave. Some of the land immediately surrounding Griffiths would need to be changed to parking space, but that would easier to convert than SMF that is cornered in by a Golf Course and many other sports facilities such as baseball and softball fields.
Always the possibility to build a new venue instead, hopefully free of the problems that these 2 sites present.
If Saskatoon ever does get a team I would be super excited and would hope for success, but at the current state I don't think expansion here would be my first choice for the CFL. That spot goes to Quebec City who I would love to get a pro team.
Sorry about the essay lol
a province-wide survey regarding expansion would be interesting. greetings from alberta.
Great post. Quebec City has a strong fan base, a love of 3-down football, a budding rivalry with Montreal and potentially Ottawa. Les Patriotes would tap into Quebec history and has a great tradition in football. I think Les Patriotes would also attract healthy crowds in western Canada. Quebec City has the population, wealth and history of support for a professional team.
The biggest issues are a stadium and having a Commissioner with connections in French Quebec.
To me there is absolutely no contest: Quebec City should be priority #1 for the league.
I don't think the Riders would want a team in Saskatoon. A number of people who attend Riders games make the drive from Saskatoon.
Saskatchewan's population is too small to have two CFL teams.
If Saskatoon ever gets a professional team it will be an NHL team.
yea id say having a team in saskatoon is asking for both teams to cannibalize each others fanbase. the province is just not big enough to support 2 teams like that and saskatoon and saskatchewan basically would feel the same.
CFL games were carried on say CBS during the NFL strike of 1982. I was happy to watch Canadian football. Different rules but still good. Johnny Rogers had no problem with that action.
They were on NBC here in the States, not CBS. I'd like to see CBS have an expanded schedule on MTV and VH1. And maybe the CBC-Radio-Canada juggernaut could get back into the game when the current TSN-RDS contract ends.
That was NBC in 1982.
Very great video, I always love some great and new CFL content, thanks!!
The CFL should consider another team in Quebec, Ontario, BC and one in Atlantic Canada. The biggest problem is the lack of stadiums in Canada.
The cities should be Quebec City,London Ontario,Kamloops,Fort McMurray,Saint John’s,Sarina,Saskatoon,Okatoks,and some other cities
Ontario doesn't need another team they cant even support the 3 they have. they don't need any more
@@ryanfriesen4366good point
Problem in BC is there is no city outside the Vancouver area that could support a team, Kamloops & PG at 100k, Nanaimo at 115k and Kelowna at 200k just doesn't get it done. Victoria at 400k has an outside shot, but the Lions would not be happy as I'm sure they consider the Island to Chilliwack as their local turf.
@@joshharrison7863Agreed. CFL constitution has local turf being everything within 200 km in every direction.
I really hope this video was meant to troll the CFL. Anyway, I live in Halifax. We were awarded an expansion franchise back in the early 80’s. At the 11th hour, the plug was pulled after the cost of a stadium began to rise rapidly & investors got cold feet.
The most recent attempt at expansion was more talk than a serious effort to bring a team here. For some reason, the majority of people who live in Halifax are against progress. It’s embarrassing that a city with a 1/2 million population has no stadium to speak of. Meanwhile, just 2.5 hour drive away, the city of Moncton seems to be willing to do whatever it takes to get an expansion team there. With a population of under 200k, it seems doubtful that will happen. The league understands the importance of having a true coast to coast league, & seems to be waiting for Halifax to finally get its act together.
One other thing that needs to be said is really the next city that builds the CFL size Stadium is going to get a team. It's actually not much more complicated than that. We only have so many big cities with big Stadiums.
Schedule Friday Night , Saturday afternoon. The Labour Day sticks and Grey Cup Sunday.
Halifax for expansion.
Saturday at 3pm is the best time
I’m an American living in Dallas, Texas. I’m a New England Patriots fan. I heard someone say an NFL team in Toronto was a remote possibility. I don’t want that to happen. Canadians have a great thing going with the CFL and I don’t want that harmed or diminished in any way. EDIT: I rarely watch the CFL, but when I do I root for Calgary because they use the same logo as my college team, the Southern Methodist University Mustangs.
This was years ago, but I read an article about how Canadians are more fans of the NFL than the CFL. However, the vast majority of Canadians are against an NFL team in Toronto if it was going to harm the Argos, which would certainly harm the CFL as a whole.
As long as any new team is named Rough Riders (or some variation) I’m happy.
NO, CFL had 2 teams named that for years...
@@Anaris10 Most people are aware of that because it was the best time to be a CFL fan. We almost had a 3rd team called the San Antonio Riders. That would have been awesome!
Although not called the CFL, the Grey Cup has been played since 1908
Thanks for the video, nice to see some of the stats for the CFL laid out in a clean format, and good to see that the league is looking healthy. I do think the league needs to expand to 12, and I would like to see them dip their toes in the US market again. Personally I hope they finally go through with the Atlantic expansion, and I really like the Spokane shout out, though I disagree with your use of the actual city population, I think the Metropolitan area is a far better measure of potential size. That gives Spokane a population to draw from of 785,000 about the same as Hamilton. A place you didn't mention that I think could work is Grand Rapids Michigan, 1.1 Million metro, no big University program to compete with and no major pro teams, but lots of history as a minor league city and closeish to Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee if anybody feels curious about that wacky Canadian brand of Football
Thanks for the thoughtful comment! I agree, expanding to 12 teams and exploring the U.S. market again could be a great move for the CFL. Atlantic expansion is long overdue, and I appreciate your perspective on Spokane-looking at the metro area does give a better sense of its potential. Grand Rapids is an interesting idea too-lots of untapped potential with a solid metro area and no major competition from other pro teams. It’s definitely a market worth considering!
I think that Quebec City is the most logical place for a tenth team. College and High School football has taken over hockey as the number one sport. They have been selling out college ball games and the lack of an NHL team would make the CFL the best bet. As for expansion into the USA, maybe they should play some exhibition games at some of the cities that have shown some interest and see how the Americans react to the different rules.
I feel like if the CFL was to expand it should definitely stick to Canada.
I totally agree! Expanding within Canada would keep the league’s identity strong and grow the game in new markets without losing that Canadian feel.
The Federal and Provincial Governments won't pay for stadiums for rich owners. This isn't the US, that's why Canada has Universal Healthcare and the Americans don't. There are more stadiums in the US in comparison to Canada. That is why the US is the most logical reason for CFL Expansion.
@davidbuswa9425 the problem I see with the us expansion is I can't imagine the NFL exactly allowing The CFL League in without some kind of Agreement that allows a Canadian NFL team to exist somehow
Agreed, chase the mid sized markets and get more across Canada. Kinda like a professional and national take on the CHL.
That U.S. expansion was A DISASTER.
CFL in the US, been there done that. Logical choice is Halifax, make it more appealing by giving a maritime name like Saskatchewan does and draw from surrounding area, New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland. Maybe do the Green Bay thing and play one off site game in St.John's annually to make them more inclusive as fans from NB can commute relatively easily to Halifax.
Been there done that isn't what happens in sports business today. There are many examples of teams going back to places where they were before. In the NHL for example, there was the Colorado Rockies and then they moved. Years later Quebec moved to Denver. Winnipeg had the Jets but they moved to Phoenix. Then Atlanta moved to Winnipeg after being in Atlanta for the 2nd time. They are talking about expanding to Atlanta again today.
In the NFL Los Angeles has had several teams go back and forth to their city. Oakland to LA, Oakland to LA, St Louis to LA. Baltimore went to Indianapolis and then Cleveland went to Baltimore. Then they expanded to Cleveland.
Halifax doesn't have a team because the people don't want to build a stadium that has CFL capacity. It's not the logical choice. CFL expansion in Canada is a fairy tale.
Saskatoon, Quebec City and Halifax should each have a team.
Please, no US expansion. It never made sense. It was tried in the 1990s and it failed spectacularly.
The Roughriders are a Provincial team. A potential team in Saskatoon would never work. Saskatchewan only has a population of just over one million, and because of the small market, the entire Province can only make one CFL team viable in my opinion!
not saskatoon, but quebec city and halifax are great choices. id say especially halifax just to get into the maritime market.
American expansion was the greatest thing the CFL ever did. It did not fail spectacularly. The only failure was not going back.
Are you from small town Canada? Because small town Canada must be VERY different from small town America.
Every small college town you mentioned, despite proximity to the border, will support their college teams and nothing else.
Are you not familiar with the CFL USA expansion in the 90s? They put teams in college towns across the South. They did well early in the season, but as soon as college season started, those CFL crowds DISAPPEARED.
Because college teams in America are sacred and untouchable.
The ONLY place where CFL USA succeeded was Baltimore, jilted former NFL city that EMBRACED the (eventual) Stallions to consecutive Grey Cups.
Then CFL USA was abandoned, the Browns moved to Baltimore, and the Alouettes were reborn when the Stallions were forced to relocate BECAUSE THE NFL FORCED THEM OUT
You want American expansion teams? So do I, but you're thinking small when you should think big.
St. Louis.
Oakland.
San Diego.
Like Baltimore, jilted by the NFL and ready to embrace their own team.
The St. Louis Battlehawks are the best drawing CFL/UFL team is Exhibit A.
Make the Atlantic Schooners a reality first and foremost, bring balance to the schedule, THEN move into those jilted American markets.
Today I learned that their are 13 other football leagues out there haha.,
As I recall, the previous U.S. expansion was going pretty well until the Browns moved to Baltimore and took over that market.
Windsor Ontario. 1934 and 1936 gray cup champions
Please come to Seattle
Cfl is well over a 100 years old
Quebec City. Just QC. Get to 10 teams and guarantee no further expansion for 10 - 15 years to give new team space to settle and grow. (that would be ideal).
Keep it Canadian.
10 teams with QC creates 2 even divisions. You can play each team in your division 3 times a season (12 games) + each non-division team once (5 games) + 1 non-division team twice to even up the home and away games. 2 byes for each team in the season = 20 week season. If the season was expanded to 20 games per team you would simply add more non-division games over a 22 week regular season.
10 teams = No more ad-hoc byes, everyone plays every non-bye week (byes can be either no games at all or can be a split week of 5 games played over 2 weeks). Also the 2 byes can be spaced to maximise the benefit for player welfare. First bye after 6 or 7 games, then another 6 or 7 games to the second bye - everyone gets byes when they work best for player recovery.
Moving from an 18 week 3 bye 9 team season to a 20 week 2 bye 10 team season would be tougher on the players but would give every team an extra home game and an extra 21 games for TV to show (100 games for TV over 22 weeks v 81 games over 21 weeks now). That is how it can be paid for...
As a America and a avid CFL fan I fully understand why Canadians would not want to expand into the US again. However I think it would be feesible to consider expanding into the Dakotas Montana These are markets have FCS college teams that are national powerhouses. Another fact is there are a good amount of former players from Montana, Montana St, North Dakota State and South Dokata St. are now on CFL rosters.
I think Rochester is a better choice than Buffalo. I can't see a CFL team sharing a city with an NFL team. You could also look at Milwaukee as they only have the Brewers and Bucks. Milwaukee and Rochester are both geographically close to the eastern teams which is convenient. One other city, Victoria, BC. Would be a great natural rivalry between the Lions and Islanders.
I live in Vancouver area. Can't see Victoria working and Doman has already said no to BC expansion previously.
I enjoy CFL when I watch it on TV
The US Cities You Listed Don't Have Direct Flights To Existing Franchises. Could Maybe Get A Team In St.Louis, Even Though It's Further Away, The People Of That City Have Shown Their Distain For The NFL.
You lost me when you started US expansion and the possible cities. Every city you mentioned would make the league look minor league. The CFL needs to think Canada first-and for now, only! Halifax should be Priority One. Quebec City, but you may have to move either Hamilton or Toronto to the West, because it will way too difficult to put a successful team in Saskatoon. I am a Texan who loves the CFL!
Quebec City should be priority one because it would actually work. The Atlantic Schooners have been talked about for literally DECADES but nothing has happened. Time to look at the largest Canadian city without a team and that's Quebec. It would bring balance to the CFL.
1. The CFL already looks and is minor league. 2. Buffalo is a major league city. 3. I'm not necessarily promoting Buffalo.
The CFL needs Halifax.
Then, Victoria BC and Quebec City.
Then, the CFL can consider the US. I agree with Spokane. But I think Rochester NY is a better choice than Buffalo.
Victoria is part of the Lions territory. It's like saying Saskatoon should be in the league.
Quebec City has it's own problems. Search for "‘We can’t even think about it’: Rouge et Or president Jacques Tanguay sees ‘no infrastructure’ or private sector appetite for CFL expansion in Quebec City" by 3 down nation on the web.
It's tough but if the CFL isn't open to international expansion they won't expand for at least 2 decades within Canada.
I am an American who has followed the CFL since the 1980s (when I spent summer vacations in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan CFL games were on the Canadian channel of the cable system)...long live the CFL!!!!
Play more games in smaller cities. The AFL has done this for years in Australia. Country markets are starved of top level sport.
wherever the CFL expands to, each new team should be called the Rough Riders.
As a rider fan I had to laugh at the idea of expansion by adding another team in Saskatchewan 😂😂💀
Didn’t the CFL try expansion in the U.S., back in the 1990s?
Yes they did
it took 2000 times to get the light bulb perfected. Only 1994 more times to go for the CFL.
They should use their community focused league model as a selling point. Maybe they could have some shows that follow players or teams, like "hard knocks". Except, Canadian style. So everything is normal. And the personality of the players, staff and fanbase can shine.
Love the charts on attendance and TV ratings, thanks for that.
CFL could definitely add a tenth team to the league but after that there's not really much else it can do expansion-wise. The league already tried expanding into the US in the 1990s and while it may have had some novelty back then, I really doubt that could be considered a viable option these days.
As for internal changes, get rid of the divisions and reduce the number of playoff spots to four so that only the top teams get a shot at the Grey Cup. Add a tenth team and everyone plays each other twice, and of the ten CFL teams only the top four get into the playoffs, so no bad teams get a technicality of getting in because they won a weak division.
I agree about scrapping the divisions! So many years the West or East Final was the top two teams and the toughest challenge for the eventual Grey Cup champions. It would be awesome to have a structure where those match-ups were always the Grey Cup game!
I agree with most of, but would do a bye for top two and still have the two game play down.
Top six should go, bottom four consolation bowl
@@slystally9874 I call your consolation bowl the "Kohler Bowl". Could be great for sponsorships. Winner gets the first round draft pick. teams with the worst records get the home game.
Why is the functionality of changing the video's speed disabled?
Good question, I'm not sure.
Go 🦁 B.C. LIONS
Southwest Ontario, with the new bridge, almost finished would open new markets in SE. Michigan and NW Ohio and Southwest Ontario.
Not to sound rude, but bridges and a tunnel have existed between Windsor and Detroit for decades! How in the world is a new bridge going to open new markets?
London, Halifax or Moncton, KW, Quebec City. All are big enough
Change the season to start in May. Play 4 months . Championship in end of August, beginning of September . No competition with nfl.
CFL should expand 5 more teams in Mexico.
There's a joke in America that goes "soccer is the sport of the future. Just like it's been for the last fifty years." From an outside perspective it feels like the CFL is the opposite of this. For thirty years I've been hearing the CFL is dying, the CFL should place teams in US markets, the CFL should adopt American rules, etc. Yet it keeps going on.
As, oddly enough, so has MLS. Sports can find their niche, and CFL has found theirs. Any expansion to the US should be to someplace like Rochester NY, just across the lake from T.O.
I think you forgot the exchange rate between the Canadian and United State's dollars and that the CFL tried this before in 1993 - 1995. Why do you think many NHL players want to cross the border?
Interesting Victoria wasn’t considered for expansion if all those other markets were.
NHL players get paid in US dollars. a US franchise would pay In US dollars so it might be attractive to players. NHL players don't want to play in Canada because of taxes, not the CAD USD exchange rate.
I grew up near the US/Canadian boarder, so I had access to CBC television on the US side. It's a unique, great brand of football, but with its rule differences and field dimensions, it's not for a US audience, and by evidence of past failures expanding into the American market, it's a no-go stateside. A Gridiron Club World Cup could be a way of growing the game outside of Canada and providing more competition, but that would require some tweaks to the CFL rules seeing that most global semi-pro leagues have adopted American rules.
I think you still try it first though. It worked in Baltimore and to a lesser extent San Antonio. They had decent crowds even though it looked like they didn't because of the huge capacity.
I'm okay with international summit in the off-season. There's a potential with flag football in the olympics. I think the CFL could use those rules to demonstrate their skill levels.
i agree with concentrating expension efforts to Canada and Sakatoon and Quebec city seem to be the better options
Quebec City has 800,000 people in the Metro area and earn some of the highest salaries in the province. They regularly attract 12,000-14,000 for the Laval University Rouge & Or CIAU games, over 20,000 with added seating when they face off against the University of Montreal Carabins.
Quebec has everything the CFL needs except for a viable stadium. If the new Commissioner has any connections in French Quebec, he can get this done.
@@paulboileau3758 Unfortunately the next Commish will be an MLSE guy based on how things are run in the CFL.
I'm an. American. Fan !! Been. One for over. 50. Years. !!!
Hopefully a cfl team in Halifax. Last year the game at my university (smu) was awesome
Halifax can't have a team unless a 25K stadium is built, and have at least 20K season ticket subscribers! Otherwise it won't work! And that is the main reason why the proposed ''Halifax Schooners'' CFL team in 1984, never 'left port'
St Louis. CFL has been talking about Maritimes expansion for 40 years now, time to cut bait. Yes, the previous US expansion was a disaster, but Baltimore proved it could be done.
The league's been serious about Halifax the city just can't sort itself out and understand that a CFL-sized stadium would be useful for so much more than just CFL. It's a huge shame but the population here is growing pretty steadily and I hope the government of the province and city can eventually figure something out.
Expansion for sure! In my opinion, the CFL needs a team in the Maritime Provinces, specifically Halifax, Nova Scotia. A 25,000 seat stadium located near the downtown (possibly on the Dartmouth side and next to the river), i.e. a destination type of situation would be ideal IMO. It's my belief that the entire population of the Maritime provinces would be the target-market for the team. Affordable season tickets initially for building a fan base and inexpensive (cheap) tickets for kids under 14, would help fill the stadium with current and future fans. Yes, I DID hear the statistics cited in this video, but the smaller available percentages of people living in the areas would help to build the fan base I'm referring to. It's happened in many many other football cities (Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego, Cincinnati, New Orleans, etc). I don't feel that expansion into the US would be a good move, as it was tried before but didn't succeed.
They need more teams definitely
The CFL needs a tenth team. I think the CFL should expand into St. Louis because the UFL won't last beyond 2026. I believe Quebec City and London, Ontario are better candidates for expansion than Halifax. Halifax had their chance and they dropped the ball on acquiring a CFL team.
The US TV deal with CBS has improved. The network has acquired the broadcast rights to this year's 111th Grey Cup in Vancouver because they didn't include the GC in it's initial broadcast schedule when the deal was announced, meaning that CBS liked the ratings for airing CFL games on it's sport network during the summer. The TV contract with TSN is up for renegotiation after 2026. So the TV money should see an increase in revenue when TV ratings have increased on TSN.
Things are looking up for the CFL. We shall see what the new CFL Commissioner has in store for the CFL as Randy Ambrosie tenure was not renewed by the CFL Board of Governors
i agree if the UFL doesn't last that St. Louis should be the next CFL team
University of Buffalo is the other football team.
I'm glad you said Buffalo I've always thought that i would also suggest Burlington Vermont nice and close to Montreal iand Ottawa. I like Spokane and Sioux Falls great suggestions to round it out.
Beacuse the league is in the summer not fall like NFL/NCAA it would work in Buffalo, Fagro, and Souix Falls
@@caseysmith544 It might work in Buffalo in the summer as weather is in the 70s/80s and teh city needs a football fix. But when the Bills seasons start, Buffalo CFL would be non-existent for the last third of the season. Buffalo residents are too focused on keeping the Bills in Buffalo. They dont have time for a 2nd team. Only way is if Bills were relocated. Buffalo would then clamor for a CFL team.
@@RichV20 I'd front end load the home games. 3 in June, 3 in July 2 in August and 1 in September. 19 week regular season. 2025 week 13 is labour day. Having 1 home game in the last 6 weeks isn't super awesome. I wouldn't necessarily try to go to NY first either because there are obviously better spots. However, it would be better if a potential CFL owner partnered with UB football program in Amhurst. after they looked everywhere else. That's just my whacky opinion
@@theodoreking8468 UB Alumni Stadium would probably be a better fit for CFL Bills. It seats 30,000. Ample parking in the summer and weekends. One of the few D-1 football stadiums with a running track, which means it could fit a CFL field, unlike Bills Stadium.
Only Quebec City is viable in Canada and I don't think that ANY franchise in the USA would work because of the import/non-import player rules. Having said that, if I had to chose US locations, I think Portland, Oregon, Hartford, Connecticut and Baltimore, Maryland would be the most ideal. Baltimore still has tonnes of CFL fans from the days of the Baltimore Stallions.
What about Anchorage, Alaska?
Would Anchorage be a possibility for expansion? Too cold? Too far away?
Anchorage is nowhere near as cold as most Canadian cities
too far away. Farthest distance between two neighbouring CFL cities is around 700 km by air. Anchorage and Vancouver are 2k kilometers apart. Also lack of stadium in Anchorage.
I love watching the CFL.It's a shame that ESPN in America or some other network doesn't air CFL games .The CFL is a nice change of pace game.
It's a lot of pressure to decide whether you're going for it or punting on 3rd down. It means that essentially you only have two downs to move the ball. Regarding expansion into the US it would most likely have to be tv markets along the border that have been ignored by the NFL. The CFL isn't going to get anywhere by expanding into deep inland markets like Alabama or Nebraska because the love for American football there runs just too strong. Border areas may be more likely to receive CFL telecasts and have more of a fanbase.
I don’t watch it often but everytime I watch the CFL it’s honestly super fun game play wise might be better than the NFL. Honestly hope it succeeds so more see it
The 2024 season isn't over yet. Grey Cup is next Sunday.
As an American CFL fan, I was bummed that I didn’t get to watch my Argo’s this year. I’ve gotten so used to the CFL being broadcasted on ESPN here in the States, especially since ESPN and TSN are basically the same company. I really had no idea the CFL was on CBS. My guess is the CFL lost viewership in the US because of that.
Some of the games were on CFL plus. Lot of games are on RUclips if you didn't pay attention to the scores.
The biggest hurdle for American expansion is one that the previous expansion 30 years ago exposed: American teams would not be subject to the Canadian teams' mandates for X-amount of Canadian players. They'd be free to stock their teams with college players and ex-NFLers - like the 1995 Grey Cup Champion Baltimore (Colts!) did. A competent front office could quickly build a dominant CFL team.
less Canadians start today and the Canadians that do start are better. They would have to change some things in the CFL first. 1. Salary cap based on cost of living. ie American cap would be smaller. 2. restricted free agency. Can't have a great exodus of players going south. That's going to be difficult to get by the CFLPA but it might work if you offer more guaranteed contracts. 3. American draft instead of the neg list.
Competent staff happened with Baltimore because they had hall of fame HC Don Matthews and GM Jim Popp. Each generation has 1 or 2 elite coaches. The rest are fairly average. Hall of fame coaches don't grow on trees. For example, if we had American expansion today, I might be worried if O'shea, Maas and Dinwiddie went south but it's their team's responsibility to have them on long term contracts. For example, the reason Flutie stayed in Calgary was because Ryckman made sure Doug signed on the dotted line first. Worst case scenario one of those guys broke free, the one thing they all have in common is loyalty to their players. Eventually players break down and they don't perform.
Also Calgary choked in 1995 and they choked in several Grey Cups after that one.
How abut Anchorage?
Only if one of the big corporate Oil companies bankroll a CFL team and new build CFL sized stadium
Love the CFL and the rules. I just have trouble with only 19 Americans can be on the rosters. But other than that its a great. I think if the US population start watching the CFL they will fall in love with it also. Its not better then the NFL, but it's so unique. With the 12 players, big end zone, 3 downs and the goal post on the goal line. Expansion ... The Buffalo New York area would be perfect US team. New York United Stars , a true AMERICAN TEAM. I believe the CFL only needs 12 teams. I also believe the NFL will have a team in Toronto in the near future. That's when the CFL expansion into other parts of the US.
hopefully vs UFL in May 2025
why ? Never happen . Makes no logic to even consider it
@@allanross611 Not by 2025 for sure. perhaps by 2030 if it's still around. Then that's a money maker for the CFL.
@@theodoreking8468 There is no reason. Makes no sense for either league. Keep them separate. NO MERGER . NO CHAMP vs CHAMP . Different rules , different times of the season. 18 games vs 10 games. It is not a money maker for the CFL.
@@allanross611 Totally would be. NFL vs CFL happened in the 60's. It was huge money for the CFL.
I didn't say merger though. That was your idea. CFL will eventually become more American. It's been slowly going that way since 1929 when they legalized the forward pass.
@@theodoreking8468 does not matter anyway, because it will never happen.
if you can't even get Halifax to want an expansion team (and it's been DECADES that this has been talked about), you can forget about any U.S. expansion. assuming Halifax can never get its act together, the CFL should look at Quebec or London.
I can't see any city in Canada building a stadium for a CFL team outside of the current 9 cities were it is already established.
Mentioning Saskatoon as a possible extension makes me question if you know anything about the cfl
I can see teams in Quebec, Halifax and London, but of course getting a 24k stadium is the difficult part. The NFL is so strong in the US, not sure if this would work. Maybe Portland OR with 600k+ population, but they of course have deep roots in NCAA football
Check out a UFL St Louis Battlehawk game though.
I'm neither a Canadian nor an American, but I like both CFL and NFL.
The league is moving in the right direction but to survive their needs to be collective action to grow the league by the team owners
That's why the CFL Board of Governors got rid of Randy Ambrosie. The BOG thought Randy failed in getting that tenth team
I am an American & enjoy the CFL. I like the idea of a franchise for the CFL in Halifax. I also would like the Edmonton Elks to change there mascot name to the Edmonton Tundra!
my top 3 Canadian cities for CFL expansion is 1. Quebec City, 2. Halifax, 3. Moncton. For the US 1. Boise, 2. Spokane, and 3. Buffalo.
I don't see two teams in Atlantic. I would build a stadium just North of Halifax so fans from NB and PEI can come easily and name the team "Atlantic" Whatevers for inclusivity of three provinces
None of the US cities have a stadium that has a CFL field
San Antonio(Alamodome), Los Angeles(the Olympic Colosseum) New York(Wein Stadium) Philadelphia(Franklin Field) or any stadium with an oval track inside it.
Any Major League Soccer stadium can accommodate CFL football (thanks to the Toronto Argonauts playing their home games at Toronto FC’s home, BMO Field).
@@davidbuswa9425 I doubt the CFzl would go to San Antonio nowadays, or Philadelphia, or really any MLS stadium if they would bother.. especially one with grass.
@@riccorich The CFL would go to San Antonio if they could find an owner to buy a franchise there. San Antonio has to be willing, can't be gifted a team like what the UFL did there. The UFL has been saying it wants to sell UFL teams to private owners, but so far they haven't found any. But it's okay for the DC Defenders to play in an MLS stadium with grass, but not a CFL team. I got news for you,the Toronto Argonauts play in MLS stadium(BMO Field) it shares with Toronto FC. It has a heated grass field and the field holds up to gridiron action. BTW, soccer tears up the grass field too.
@davidbuswa9425 I doubt it, this is not 1995, so many other sports and things going on now, CFL will have a harder time
I think they are doing great.
I love the CFL, and the league has always somehow managed to survive the bleeding and concerns about viability... precariously... but as time goes on, and crowds shrink, I'm really getting worried about the future. It would be awesome if Halifax or QC joined as #10, but unless someone with really deep pockets steps up to make it finally happen, I think ONE POSSIBLE OPTION is to change the name to "3FL" and invite a few American cities back in. Keep the rules and field size intact. Sure, losing the C is a tough compromise, but by naming the league after the distinctive 3 downs, it could make it a lot more welcoming to American fans while losing none of the flavour. Anchorage, Spokane, Grand Rapids. And again, if some incredibly wealthy benefactor would be willing to fund decent 25k stadiums in Victoria, Saskatoon, and Halifax, it could be a massive catalyst. And when I watch the NFL, the tiny field makes it look like they play in a gymnasium... or a basement. ;p
Yes vote to try Spokane, Grand Rapids. No vote to try: Anchorage, Victoria, Saskatoon, and Halifax.
I would also try within 200 km of Detroit (this includes London and Windsor), Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Columbus, Cleveland, & Cincinnati,
@@theodoreking8468 Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Columbus, Cleveland, & Cincinnati? Man, save for Columbus, those are all deeply entrenched NFL cities. Not a chance. ;P
@@KOZMOGRAFX I said within 200 km. It's a big area. Not much overlap with NFL if you start the CFL season in May either.
Moncton only having 80k population, if you put a team there there's like half a dozen places in ontario that could also support a team like Kingston, Kintchener-Waterloo, Windsor...
The average attendance (CFL as a whole) is better than some MLB teams.
As for expansion, Halifax (Atlantic Schooners)?
I’m from Buffalo and I clicked the video because Canada is very close. I think a team in Niagara Falls, Ontario would do well. It would be hard to advertise to American fans. If its in Niagara Falls, NY it would draw in more people from both sides
Not sure about the stadium like everywhere else lol
@ yeah the Falls wouldnt work I was going to come back to this they would have to build one or use the one in orchard park. Its not realistic to happen it would be cool to see a game come to WNY though.
The CFL NEEDS A Official Video Game
All of these Ideas sound pretty good except Buffalo and possibly Boise. I Would like a team in Spokane and Fargo along with Quebec City, Halifax and Saskatoon in Canada
The CFL is over One Hundred years Old. 🍁🇨🇦🏈
I always watched Canadian football when I was kid. It was on every Saturday night, andbI liked the different rules they had. I m don't see why they don't put it on TV in the states anymore.
It's on CBS SN and on CFL+
95🏆BALTIMORE STALLIONS🐎✨️
I would try Baltimore, they were successful and won the Grey Cup in 1996.
When CFL tried this, US labor laws favored US teams.
They left because the Browns reloacted to Baltimore, the owner of the Stallions knew he couldnt compete, so he moved the team to revive the Alouetes
1995 not 1996
I always wondered if Oregon might have been a decent spot during the last expansion attempt
Back in the 1980s Portland Oregon was talked about a lot. True.