Recently, a post was made by CFL Super Late News on Twitter/X about a new concept for the CFL moving forward. It introduced new teams, new network coverage, and international presence. Let's take a look at #CFLVison2030.
It opens with two simple words. "Ten Teams." This has been a goal for the CFL for years, and expansion has been a priority for CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie. The two most likely markets are the Atlantic and Quebec City, but some other noteworthy locations include Victoria and Saskatoon. If the CFL manages to expand, it will bring more eyes, more attention and more money to the league.
The next line mentions ground work for twelve teams by 2035. Ground work means that the teams do not have to be established, but they need game plans for how to execute these new teams in these markets. If there is no ground work, new teams will be much harder to establish.
Line three mentions multi-network coverage. Long has TSN dominated coverage of the CFL. It would be a great idea, however, to establish coverage with SportsNet and/or CBC to get more eyes on the product. To expand on this, pre-season games should be free to watch on YouTube via livestream like what we're seeing with the PWHL currently. This will put more eyes on the product in the preseason, which may incentivize viewers to purchase a way to watch the CFL.
Line four mentions two neutral-site games per year to expand the brand. The Touchdown series is well established in the CFL, so putting one more game on the roster in a market potentially outside Canada will absolutely bring attention to the game.
Line five mentions international presence. It may be difficult to establish this right away, but the first international market we should be looking at is the USA. It's a huge market who already loves football, and we've already tried it once. Who knows, maybe we'll bring back all the old teams.
In conclusion, this vision is a dream come true for many CFL fans. But currently, that's all it is. A dream. Maybe one day we'll see all of this come to fruition.
By Bruce Chimirri-Olson
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