With the CFL back to being a stable league and all teams posting profits, is it time for an Eastern CFL expansion to make five teams in each division? Mr. Orridge, it is time for the CFL team to have 10 teams. Here’s a look at a possible destination for the league’s tenth team.
Eastern CFL Expansion: Where To?
Atlantic Canada
This is the most logical choice as Montreal is the CFL team sitting furthest East. Multiple cities in the Atlantic provinces could host a CFL team, including Halifax, St. John’s, and Fredericton. Atlantic Canada no doubt will show a passion for CFL football right off the bat and will just slide into the Eastern division with no complications.
Atlantic Canada is the most realistic and probable expansion as 2.3 million people live there; factor out people who don’t like sports, and you’re down to, say, 1 million. That is a million possible fans for the CFL when they expand to Atlantic Canada. Atlantic Canada already gives support to the CFL; it’s time to give CFL football to Atlantic Canada.
Quebec City
A Quebec City expansion team would create an immediate rivalry with Montreal. However, with a possible NHL team coming back to Quebec City, the interest would most likely be reduced for an Eastern CFL expansion. Quebec City did host a CFL pre-season game last year between Ottawa and Montreal at Stade Telus and attendance was low. This is a surprise considering the city’s passion for the Laval Rouge et Or; on Laval’s game days, Quebecers show they are a football town.
Quebec City is the second-best option for the CFL expansion with a population over 500 thousand people. If roughly 100,000 people can be counted on to care about the team, there’s another full stadium, more money to the league, and more quality players getting work.
Niagara Falls
This is an interesting one as Niagara Falls is a huge tourist attraction, and would most likely attract families to a game on a Saturday night after they spend the day on Clifton Hill. Imagine a stadium where you can see the Falls from your seat; that would be a breathtaking must-see for any sports fan, and it could possibly be just a few minutes’ walk from Clifton Hill, making it quick and easy for families to get back to their main hotel.
This one isn’t about population so much in Niagara Falls, but you do need a steady 10,000-strong season ticket base. The rest will come from the tourists visiting the region, and they still arrive in large numbers.
Any Possibility For the West?
Saskatoon
Everyone knows the rivalry of the Roughriders and Blue Bombers, but if Saskatoon were to be that expansion team, the Riders might inevitably lose some fans to them. But there would be a huge attendance boost for the CFL as Western Canada already has incredible passion for the CFL and Saskatoon has a significant population at over 220,000. Winnipeg would have to slide into the East Division, and Saskatoon would join the West.
Victoria
One problem in the West is deciding who is B.C.’s rival team on Labour Day weekend. They either have a bye week or play Montreal or Ottawa, which are not really rivalries. In this scenario, Winnipeg again slides into the East division. Victoria would have a natural rivalry with the Lions. There population isn’t the largest at under 100,000, but fans who are too far from Vancouver can get to Victoria pretty easily.
Northern Canada
Nope, this one won’t happen. But just imagine players having to go that far North for a game?
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