Same ole 8 teams has become boring

[Apex]

Time for some controlled expansion. 4 new teams would help break the monotony.

[preeths]

But where would you go with four new teams? The current markets are sometimes hard-pressed to support their teams, and I don't think the CFL is looking at the US again.

[mikeyratt]

But where would you go with four new teams? The current markets are sometimes hard-pressed to support their teams, and I don't think the CFL is looking at the US again.

Halifax, Quebec City, Pukatawagan and Sioux Lookout

[indy legend]

There are some smaller markets in the US with smaller stadiums that I think would be a possibility for the CFL to look at. 1.Portland ,OR (PGE Park-20,000) 2. Columbus, OH (Crew Stadium- 22,500) 3. Louisville,KY (Old Cardinal Stadium-30,000) 4. Canton, OH (Fawcett Stadium- 23,000)5.Tulsa,OK (dont remember stadium name but I believe it hols around 40,000) 6.Richmond,VA (U .of Richmond Stadium 22,000) I'm sure there are others but those are just off the top of my head. I'm interested in what others think of these 6 cities for US expansion and any other cities that might be viable.These are all areas were football is big,but will never get NFL football and as far as these other leagues (AAFL, UFL, USFL) I'll believe it when I see it.

[Geoff]

I highly doubt U. of Richmond would let their stadium be used for Canadian football. Imagine how confusing that would be with the field numbers for both American and Canadian football.

[Pounder]

U of Richmond is tearing down their stadium and moving ON campus.

Stay the bleep out of MLS (and future MLS) parks. Besides, I doubt a one of them can handle the expanded endzones.

[robster2001]

Time for some controlled expansion. 4 new teams would help break the monotony.

You're assuming the CFL has a future.

I could see Toronto and Vancouver in the NFL some day. Probably before we see Ottawa back in the CFL. :)

[Shootmaster_44]

You're assuming the CFL has a future.

I could see Toronto and Vancouver in the NFL some day. Probably before we see Ottawa back in the CFL. :)

The CFL will be around for a long time. Toronto may leave, but in Western Canada the CFL is THE football league. Yes people follow the NFL, but here the CFL is king.

As far as expansion goes, the only city with a stadium close to CFL sized is Quebec City. With the implosion of the one set of stands, even Ottawa no longer has a stadium big enough. That said the stadium will be rebuilt in time for Ottawa to kickoff for 2010. So there's one new team.

But hypothetically, after Ottawa, the next best candidates are Quebec City and Halifax. Once you go beyond them, there are no other cities that even come close to having CFL ready stadium. Saskatoon is probably the only one in the West that with a ton of renos could come close. Griffiths Stadium on the U of S campus was expanded to just under 13,000 for the Vanier Cup. If they tore down the West Side stands, there is room for stands to seat maybe 10,000. So with a lot of work they could hit 20,000 seats.

[Shootmaster_44]

There are some smaller markets in the US with smaller stadiums that I think would be a possibility for the CFL to look at. 1.Portland ,OR (PGE Park-20,000) 2. Columbus, OH (Crew Stadium- 22,500) 3. Louisville,KY (Old Cardinal Stadium-30,000) 4. Canton, OH (Fawcett Stadium- 23,000)5.Tulsa,OK (dont remember stadium name but I believe it hols around 40,000) 6.Richmond,VA (U .of Richmond Stadium 22,000) I'm sure there are others but those are just off the top of my head. I'm interested in what others think of these 6 cities for US expansion and any other cities that might be viable.These are all areas were football is big,but will never get NFL football and as far as these other leagues (AAFL, UFL, USFL) I'll believe it when I see it.

Let's say hypothetically, the CFL wanted to move back into the US, the $1,000,000 question is can these stadiums fit a CFL sized field? I can't remember where I read it, but Commissioner Cohon had said that if the CFL were to ever consider moving back to the US, one of the conditions would be the stadium would have to be able to fit a CFL sized field. I'm not sure that there are any stadiums in the US that would be able to do that. Most soccer fields are wide enough, but not quite long enough for the field (which is the problem with the Argos moving to BMO Field).

[ca]

would make an excellent cfl city since the nfl team here in detroit STINKS ! the facility here is emu's rynearson stadium which is the old home of the wfl's detroit wheels and has a 30 k capacity thats an hour away from canada

[Shootmaster_44]

would make an excellent cfl city since the nfl team here in detroit STINKS ! the facility here is emu's rynearson stadium which is the old home of the wfl's detroit wheels and has a 30 k capacity thats an hour away from canada

Is the field Canadian sized? At one point in the 60's a group from Detroit did try and get a CFL franchise. It was to play at Tiger Stadium and almost happened except I think there was a problem with the investor from Windsor. I believe the Canadian investor was made mandatory by the CFL. I also remember reading about a proposed CFL team for New York. This was back in the 1950s when the CFL was the money league and the NFL was the little guy.

Imagine what could've been had the CFL expanded into the US back then. Payton Manning would look great in my Riders green and white. He would've been the Riders too as I believe his draft year was the same year the Riders were second worst in the CFL. I'm guessing whoever was last that year would've taken Ryan Leaf like the Chargers did.

[Berkshirian]

Peyton Manning would then be jealously looking at all of Tom Brady's Grey Cups!!!

Seriously, though...

If you ever wanted US teams, they would have to be in so-called "triple A" markets in the north, like a Rochester or Syracuse, a Portland (Maine or Oregon, I guess...), or a Boise. If the Bills move to Toronto, then Buffalo....

What about Halifax? Quebec City? Moncton? London? Ottawa? Saskatoon?

Or maybe it can't get much bigger. With 1/10 the population of the US, the CFL is the equivalent of an 80 team NFL......

[phydeaux72]

The CFL will never expand back into the United States. Does anyone remember what happened when Baltimore won the Grey Cup? They were the first, only and last US team to ever win the Grey Cup. And the CFL pulled the plug on all of the US teams the very next season. What does that tell you?

[rams80]

The CFL will never expand back into the United States. Does anyone remember what happened when Baltimore won the Grey Cup? They were the first, only and last US team to ever win the Grey Cup. And the CFL pulled the plug on all of the US teams the very next season. What does that tell you?

It only worked in Baltimore. And then the Ravens came to town, ending that experience.

[Berkshirian]

My vote (let's pretend it matters) is for

1. Ottawa
2. Halifax
3. Windsor
4. Quebec

Not bad, eh?

[firewolff]

My vote (let's pretend it matters) is for

1. Ottawa
2. Halifax
3. Windsor
4. Quebec

Not bad, eh?

Those are all cities in the East. I suggest Ottawa, Halifax, & Quebec; then move Winnipeg back to the West (again) and adding Portland, Oregon (guess where I live).

[Shootmaster_44]

My vote (let's pretend it matters) is for

1. Ottawa
2. Halifax
3. Windsor
4. Quebec

Not bad, eh?

After Ottawa, Quebec City is next on the list. Laval University currently plays in an 18,000 seat stadium that routinely sells out. For CIS football that is like Michigan getting 200,000 per game, it is unbelievable. So once PEPS (their stadium) is expanded to 23 or 24,000 in the next few years, I think it will be only a matter of time before they are in.

Windsor is probably the least likely place on your list to get a team. There is no stadium in Windsor that could support a team easily and it seems that the Federal and Provincial governments are not keen on building stadiums on a whim, so unless some private backer suddenly decides to build on Windsor is out.

In the West you have three viable candidates in Saskatoon, Victoria and the Okanagan. Saskatoon is the only one of the three to even have a stadium that is even capable of expansion to a CFL caliber field. Griffiths Stadium was expanded to 13,000 for the Vanier Cup and saw a sellout in -40C weather. The stadium could possibly be expanded to 20,000 if they tore down the existing West Side stands and built a bigger one. The other major improvement would have to be the visitor's dressing room. It is way too small for proper use by a CFL team. Once that is in place, major amenities would have to be build. The small washrooms would need to be expanded as well as the concession stands. I'd say to bring it into CFL standards at least $35,000,000 worth of work would need to be done. Plus the U of S Huskies would have to be willing to share their clubhouse or a new clubhouse would need to be built for the CFL club.

All in all, I think the West's viability for expansion is slim to none. If three more teams join the East, Winnipeg would shift back into the West and you'd have an uneven set of divisions. The other option would be to split the East into two divisions and have Montreal, Quebec and Halifax in one division and Hamilton, Toronto and Ottawa in the other. For the playoffs top two from each division advance and the first place teams no longer have a bye. It would likely see the end of the crossover rule as the 4th place team in the West would likely have a worse record than the second place team in the East. The only problem would occur if two third place East teams were better than the third place West team.

Then again, the CFL has never been one to care about even divisions. In 1995 the North Division had 8 teams, while the South had 5. So the CFL might be fine with 6 in the East and 5 in the West (or 7 and 4 if Winnipeg didn't move back).

[ca]

is too small think of the appeal since its near windsor !

[Shootmaster_44]

is too small think of the appeal since its near windsor !

Commission Cohon has already gone on record as saying that if the CFL were to even consider expanding to the US, the field must be proper CFL sized. He said that it was a disgrace to have teams playing on a 90 yard field like they had in Memphis I believe. I'd link to it but I don't believe it was a text article it was during halftime of one of the games this year. So Ypsilanti is out unless the field is large enough to accommodate CFL dimensions.

I wonder if there are any stadiums in the US that meet the minimum 20,000 seat capacity that could accommodate the CFL sized field? The only one I can think of that might be able to is the Metrodome in Minneapolis. I'm not even sure it could but since the seats are movable, it might be able to be done. I think the Alamo Dome in San Antonio met the length but not the width of the CFL field. Basically, I think US expansion is a dead issue, unless some potential owner wants to build/renovate a stadium so that it would fit a Canadian field.

[firewolff]

I wonder if there are any stadiums in the US that meet the minimum 20,000 seat capacity that could accommodate the CFL sized field?...Basically, I think US expansion is a dead issue, unless some potential owner wants to build/renovate a stadium so that it would fit a Canadian field.

I agree. US expansion is probably a dead issue anyway (at least for the next 10 years or so), but I have often wondered if PGE Park in Portland (and other parks that can do both football and baseball) could handle the CFL field.

[Pounder]

I agree. US expansion is probably a dead issue anyway (at least for the next 10 years or so), but I have often wondered if PGE Park in Portland (and other parks that can do both football and baseball) could handle the CFL field.

Answer: No... and especially not after the stadium is renovated for MLS and PSU.

[Berkshirian]

Sorry... been away for a few days....

Saskatoon? NEVER happen. It's Roughriders territory and those fans will NOT be swayed!

And as for the "all east" of my list.... Well, where out west COULD you go? Victoria? Perhaps. After that the list gets very sparse! Saskatoon would work on a demographic and stadium level perhaps, but see above.

Halifax, baby. Bring on those Schooners. Just build a place for them to play!!!!

[Big Easy]

I agree with the guy who brought up Detroit. They are the biggest American city near the border without professional football. :p

[Shootmaster_44]

Sorry... been away for a few days....

Saskatoon? NEVER happen. It's Roughriders territory and those fans will NOT be swayed!

And as for the "all east" of my list.... Well, where out west COULD you go? Victoria? Perhaps. After that the list gets very sparse! Saskatoon would work on a demographic and stadium level perhaps, but see above.

Halifax, baby. Bring on those Schooners. Just build a place for them to play!!!!

I haven't checked in on this thread in a long time.

I'm pretty sure a Saskatoon team would work, especially since I live here. The thing with the Riders is that they draw nearly 75% of their support from Regina south. As a result, you hear people calling them the Regina Roughriders (moreso when they are losing) in Saskatoon. Why is that? Simply, because the people of this city don't have an actual connection to the team. Of course people in Saskatoon support the team and follow it, but if we had our own team people would abandon the Riders.

In all honesty, like I said before the chances of Saskatoon being granted a team are slim to none. This city seems more content to set our sights on indoor pro teams (such as the AHL or IBL) and major indoor tournaments (World Juniors). However, every once and awhile the talk of a 30,000 seat stadium for football is mentioned. The last time was during last winter. If they build, I doubt it would be built for the U of S Huskies. If the Riders refuse to move here, I think there would be major interest from the owners of the stadium to acquire a CFL franchise.

As for the All-East list, I agree that three of the four are viable candidates. But the CFL is unlikely to add a fourth Eastern team without at least one more in the West. The odd man out of your list is Windsor, there is a lack of infrastructure in the city that works against it being on the list. Plus, with the proximity to Detroit, it makes me wonder whether Windsor would even support a CFL team with the Lions and two major NCAA teams (and countless smaller NCAA teams) a short drive away? I read the Windsor Star newspaper from time-to-time and it seems like the Detroit based teams get much more press coverage than the CFL does. In fact, it seems like U of Windsor Lancers athletics gets more press coverage than the CFL does. So I think Windsor is a less viable candidate than Saskatoon is.