“Everyone who supports this league was blindsided by these substantial rule changes without any consultation with the fans or the players,”
- Patrick Land, the moderator of a Facebook group against the upcoming CFL rule changes
Today is Grey Cup Day and the Canadian Football League is at a critical juncture in its storied history. The planned new rule changes will only hinder the league. The CFL is special because of its uniqueness and its quirkiness. It is special because that uniqueness makes it quintessentially Canadian. It's ours, and ours alone. It is not a second-rate, paler version of the NFL. Why should fans watch a pale imitation of the NFL when they can just watch the real thing? The attraction of the CFL is that it is not the NFL, and it should not try to be. It has its own identity. CFL players are not multi-millionaires. They are not Tom Brady. One doesn't read about them in gossip columns.
The changes for the 2026 and 2027 CFL seasons include reducing the length of the field, moving the goalposts to the back of the end zone, and other tweaks.
The change to which I am most opposed is the reduction of the field from 110 yards to 100 yards, the same as the NFL. Two-thirds of avid fans disagree with the field changes set for 2027. What next? Four downs?
Sadly, the CFL is bleeding fans. It can't afford to lose any more. Only 16% of Canadians closely follow the CFL, down from 21% in 2014 and 2018. It is unlikely that the rule changes will attract many more fans. What I fear is that the league will alienate some of its most ardent supporters. Wake up, CFL! Why don't you listen to your tried and true fans? Why didn't you ask them before you made these decisions? Do you have a death wish?
As I write this, the 112th Grey Cup is underway in Winnipeg, between the Montreal Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. It is not as glitzy and commercial as the Super Bowl. It is more down-home. I hope there are many more of this great Canadian tradition to come.
- Joanne
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