Canadian Football league - Wikipedia Canadian Football league Canadian Football League Current season, competition or edition : 2017 CFL season Sport Canadian football Founded January 17, 1958 ( 59 years ago ) Inaugural season 1958 Commissioner Randy Ambrosie No. of teams 9 Country Canada Headquarters Toronto, Ontario, Canada Most recent champion ( s ) Ottawa Redblacks ( 1st title ) Most titles Edmonton Eskimos ( 11 ) TV partner ( s ) TSN TSN2 RDS Official website cfl.ca The Canadian Football League ( CFL ; French : Ligue canadienne de football, LCF ) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. Its nine teams, which are located in nine separate cities, are divided into two divisions : the East Division, with four teams, and the West Division with five teams. As of 2016, the league features a 20 - week regular season, which traditionally runs from late June to early November ; each team plays 18 games with at least two bye weeks. Following the regular season, six teams compete in the league 's three - week divisional playoffs, which culminate in the Grey Cup championship game in late November, one of the country 's largest annual sports and television events. The CFL was officially founded on January 19, 1958. The league was formed from a merger between the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union founded in 1907 and the Western Interprovincial Football Union founded in 1936. Contents 1 History 1.1 Early history 1.2 United States expansion 1.3 Post-U.S. expansion era 1.3. 1 Mark Cohon era ( 2007 -- 15 ) 1.3. 2 Jeffrey Orridge era ( 2015 -- 17 ) 1.3. 3 Randy Ambrosie era ( 2017 -- present ) 2 Teams 2.1 Active teams 2.2 Defunct teams 2.2. 1 Teams that never played 2.3 Timeline 2.4 Potential expansion 2.4. 1 Maritimes 2.4. 2 Quebec City 2.4. 3 Saskatoon 3 Season structure 3.1 Preseason 3.2 Regular season 3.3 Playoffs 3.4 Grey Cup 3.5 Awards 4 Broadcasting 4.1 Canadian broadcasters 4.2 Foreign coverage 4.3 Previous broadcasting arrangements 4.3. 1 Canada 4.3. 2 United States 4.4 Internet 4.5 Radio 5 Players and compensation 6 CFL Draft 7 League commissioners 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External links History Early history Further information : History of Canadian football CFL logo from 1958 to 1969 Rugby football began to be played in Canada in the 1860s, and many of the first Canadian football teams played under the auspices of the Canadian Rugby Football Union ( CRFU ), founded in 1884. The CRFU was reorganized as the Canadian Rugby Union ( CRU ) in 1891, and served as an umbrella organization for several provincial and regional unions. The Grey Cup was donated by Governor General Earl Grey in 1909 to the team winning the Senior Amateur Football Championship of Canada. By that time, the sport as played in Canada had diverged markedly from its rugby origins, and started to become more similar to the American game. From the 1930s to the 1950s, the two senior leagues of the CRU, the eastern Interprovincial Rugby Football Union ( IRFU or Big Four ) and Western Interprovincial Football Union ( WIFU ) gradually evolved from amateur to professional leagues, and amateur teams such as those in the Ontario Rugby Football Union ( ORFU ) were no longer competitive in their Cup challenges. The ORFU withdrew from Grey Cup competition after the 1954 season, heralding the start of the modern era of professional Canadian football, in which the Grey Cup has been exclusively contested by professional teams ( Since 1965, Canada 's top amateur teams, competing in U Sports, have competed for the Vanier Cup ). In 1956, the IRFU and WIFU formed a new umbrella organization, the Canadian Football Council ( CFC ). In 1958, the CFC left the CRU and became the Canadian Football League. As part of an agreement between the CRU and CFL, the CFL took possession of the Grey Cup, even though amateurs had not competed for it since 1954. The CRU remained the governing body for amateur play in Canada, eventually adopting the name Football Canada. Initially, the two unions remained autonomous, and there was no intersectional play between eastern ( IRFU ) and western ( WIFU ) teams except at the Grey Cup final. This situation was roughly analogous to how the American baseball leagues operated for years. The IRFU was renamed the Eastern Football Conference in 1960, while the WIFU was renamed the Western Football Conference in 1961. Also in 1961, limited intersectional play was introduced. Because the West played 16 games by this time while the East still only played 14, this arrangement oddly allowed both the four team Eastern Conference and the five team Western Conference to play three games per intraconference opponent and one game per interconference opponent. In 1974, the Eastern Conference extended its schedule to 16 games. It was not until 1981 that the two conferences agreed to a full merger, becoming the East and West Divisions of the CFL. With the merger came a fully balanced and interlocking schedule of 16 games per season ; starting in 1986, the CFL expanded the regular season schedule to the current 18 games. The separate histories of the IRFU and the WIFU accounted for the fact that two teams had basically the same name : the IRFU 's Ottawa Rough Riders were often called the `` Eastern Riders '', while the WIFU 's Saskatchewan Roughriders were called the `` Western Riders '' or `` Green Riders ''. Other team names had traditional origins. With rowing a national craze in the late 19th century, the Argonaut Rowing Club of Toronto formed a rugby team for its members ' off - season participation. The football team name Toronto Argonauts still remains even though it and the rowing club have long since gone their separate ways. After World War II, the two teams in Hamilton -- the Tigers and the Flying Wildcats -- merged both their organizations into the Hamilton Tiger - Cats. CFL logo from 1970 to 2002 The league remained stable with nine franchises -- the BC Lions, Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Eskimos, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Hamilton Tiger - Cats, Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders and Montreal Alouettes -- from its 1958 inception until 1981. After the 1981 season, the Alouettes folded and were replaced the next year by a new franchise named the Concordes. In 1986 the Concordes were renamed the Alouettes to attract more fan support, but the team folded the next year. The demise of the Alouettes forced the League to move its easternmost Western team, Winnipeg, into the East Division ( it would stay there between 1987 -- 94, 1997 -- 2001, and once more from 2006 -- 2013 ). United States expansion Main article : Canadian Football League in the United States The CFL USA logo as it was promoted from 1993 to 1995 In 1993, the league admitted its first United States - based franchise, the Sacramento Gold Miners. After modest success, the league then expanded further in the U.S. in 1994 with the Las Vegas Posse, Baltimore Stallions, and Shreveport Pirates. For the 1995 campaign, the American teams were split off into their own South Division, and two more teams, the Birmingham Barracudas and Memphis Mad Dogs, were added ; at the same time, the Posse folded and the Gold Miners relocated to become the San Antonio Texans. In 1995, the Stallions became the only non-Canadian team to win the Grey Cup. Despite all American teams having the advantage of not being bound to the CFL 's minimum Canadian player quotas, only the Stallions proved to be an on - field and off - field success. The establishment of the NFL 's Baltimore Ravens, worsening financial problems among the league 's core Canadian teams, and the inconsistent performance of the American teams prompted the CFL to abandon its American experiment and retrench its Canadian operations. The Stallions organization was used as the basis for a revival of the Montreal Alouettes. Post-U.S. expansion era The CFL returned to an all - Canadian format in 1996 with nine teams ; the league conducted a dispersal draft to distribute players from the shuttered American - based teams ; however, the Ottawa Rough Riders, in existence since 1876, folded after the 1996 season ( another dispersal draft was conducted as result to distribute the former Rough Rider players amongst the remaining eight teams ). Toronto and recently revived Montreal also were struggling ; Montreal 's woes were solved by moving to Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, a much smaller venue than the cavernous Olympic Stadium. In 1997, the NFL provided a $3 - million USD interest - free loan to the financially struggling CFL. In return, the NFL was granted access to CFL players entering a defined two - month window in the option year of their contract. This was later written into the CFL 's collective bargaining agreement with its players. The CFL 's finances have since stabilized and they eventually repaid the loan. The CFL -- NFL agreement expired in 2006. Both leagues have been attempting to reach a new agreement, but the CFL broke off negotiations in November 2007 after Canadian telecommunications firm Rogers Communications paid $78 million to host seven Bills games in Toronto over five seasons. Edmonton 's Commonwealth Stadium ( shown during player introductions prior to a game ) is the largest venue in the CFL. In 2002, the league expanded back to nine teams with the creation of the Ottawa Renegades. After four seasons of financial losses, the Renegades were suspended indefinitely before the 2006 season ; their players were absorbed by the remaining teams in a dispersal draft, as was the case during 1996 and 1997. In 2005, the league set an all - time attendance record with a total attendance of more than 2.3 million. With the absence of Ottawa from 2006 onwards, league attendance hovered around the 2 million mark. It stood at 2,029,875 in 2012 for a single game average of 28,193. The 2007 season was a recent high point with average game attendance of 29,167, the best since 1983. Mark Cohon era ( 2007 -- 15 ) The CFL logo from 2002 to 2015 With Mark Cohon as commissioner of the league the CFL entered a period of stability and growth. New television deals, two new collective bargaining agreements, the 100th Grey Cup celebration, and widespread stadium renovation and rebuilding highlighted this era. The 100th anniversary of the Grey Cup had the highest ever television ratings for a championship game in English Canada. During the 2000s the CFL had the third highest per - game attendance of any North American sports league and the seventh highest per - game attendance of any sports league worldwide. A 2006 survey conducted at the University of Lethbridge confirmed that the CFL was the second most popular sports league in Canada, with the following of 19 % of the total adult Canadian population compared to 30 % for the NHL. The NFL had 11 % following, with a total of 26 % following at least one of the pro football leagues. In other words, approximately 80 % of Canadian football fans follow the CFL, and about 55 % follow the NFL. During Mark Cohon 's time in office many of the teams either undertook major renovations to their existing stadiums, or constructed brand new stadiums. The Montreal Alouettes were the first to undertake this project, adding 5,000 seats to Percival Molson Memorial Stadium in time for the 2010 CFL season. The Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders also renovated their respective stadia and facilities for the 2010 season. In 2011, the BC Lions played under a new, retractable roof in BC Place after spending one and a half seasons at Empire Field. In 2013, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers moved to an entirely new stadium at the University of Manitoba. The Hamilton Tiger - Cats began using their new stadium, Tim Hortons Field, after spending 2013 at Guelph University and the first half of the 2014 season at McMaster University 's football field following the demolition of the iconic Ivor Wynne Stadium. In 2014 the Ottawa Redblacks kicked off their inaugural season ( having been awarded a franchise in 2008 ), becoming the third Ottawa franchise in CFL history. The new Ottawa franchise returned the league to 9 team structure, with 5 teams in West Division and 4 in the East. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers moved back to the West Division. The 2014 expansion Ottawa Redblacks played at the massively renovated Frank Clair Stadium, now branded as TD Place Stadium. In Mark Cohon 's last year as commissioner he negotiated a new five - year collective bargaining agreement ( from 2014 through the 2018 season ) between the CFL and the CFLPA. Jeffrey Orridge era ( 2015 -- 17 ) The Toronto Argonauts entered a period of transition off the field, with new ownership and a new stadium. The Argonauts were sold by politician / businessman David Braley to Bell Media and MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum. At the start of the 2016 season the Argos moved to BMO Field after more than twenty seasons at the Rogers Centre ( formerly called the SkyDome from 1989 -- 2005 ). Construction on New Mosaic Stadium for the Saskatchewan Roughriders was completed in October 2016 and the first game was played in the 2017 CFL season. On May 22, 2015, Michael Sam signed a two - year contract with Montreal Alouettes of the CFL. The signing made him the first openly gay player in the league 's history. Sam left the team the day before the first preseason game, citing personal reasons. As reported by Fox Sports, Sam returned to Montreal to continue his professional football career. but again left on August 14, permanently, again citing personal reasons. Immediately following the 2015 season Jeffrey Orridge announced a re-branding for the CFL, including a new logo, motto, uniforms for all nine teams and website. After not having a drug enforcement policy in effect for the 2015 season the league and the CFLPA agreed to a new drug policy. On April 12, 2017 the Board of Governors and Jeffrey Orridge agreed to part ways, effective June 30, 2017 ; Orridge cited `` differing views on the future of the league '' between him and the Board of Governors for the departure, with both sides stating the decision was mutual and amicable. His last day as commissioner was June 15, 2017. Jim Lawson, The CFL 's Chair of the Board of Governors, took over the duties of interim Commissioner until a suitable replacement was found. Randy Ambrosie era ( 2017 -- present ) On June 29, 2017, the CFL announced Randy Ambrosie would succeed Orridge as CFL commissioner. The move was made official on July 5, 2017, with Ambrosie named as the 14th Commissioner of the league that day. Having spent 9 seasons as a player with the Calgary Stampeders, Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Eskimos from 1985 -- 1993, Ambrosie is the first commissioner to have played in the league since Larry Smith left the position in 1996. Teams Active teams Team City Stadium Capacity Founded ( Lineage ) Head Coach General Manager Owner East Division Hamilton Tiger - Cats Hamilton, Ontario Tim Hortons Field 24,000 43 ° 15 ′ 9.26 '' N 79 ° 49 ′ 48.89 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 43.2525722 ° N 79.8302472 ° W ﻿ / 43.2525722 ; - 79.8302472 ﻿ ( Hamilton Tiger - Cats ) 1950 ( 1869 ) June Jones Eric Tillman Bob Young Montreal Alouettes Montreal, Quebec Percival Molson Memorial Stadium 23,420 45 ° 30 ′ 36.3 '' N 73 ° 34 ′ 50.4 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.510083 ° N 73.580667 ° W ﻿ / 45.510083 ; - 73.580667 ﻿ ( Montreal Alouettes ) 1996 ( 1946 ) Kavis Reed ( Interim ) Kavis Reed Bob Wetenhall Ottawa Redblacks Ottawa, Ontario TD Place Stadium 25,000 45 ° 23 ′ 53.44 '' N 75 ° 41 ′ 1.14 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.3981778 ° N 75.6836500 ° W ﻿ / 45.3981778 ; - 75.6836500 ﻿ ( Ottawa Redblacks ) 2014 ( 1876 ) Rick Campbell Marcel Desjardins Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group ( Jeff Hunt, chairman ) Toronto Argonauts Toronto, Ontario BMO Field 26,500 43 ° 37 ′ 58 '' N 79 ° 25 ′ 07 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 43.63278 ° N 79.41861 ° W ﻿ / 43.63278 ; - 79.41861 ﻿ ( Toronto Argonauts ) 1873 Marc Trestman Jim Popp Bell Canada -- Kilmer Sports partnership ( Larry Tanenbaum, chairman ) West Division BC Lions Vancouver, British Columbia BC Place 54,320 49 ° 16 ′ 36 '' N 123 ° 6 ′ 43 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 49.27667 ° N 123.11194 ° W ﻿ / 49.27667 ; - 123.11194 ﻿ ( BC Lions ) 1954 Wally Buono David Braley Calgary Stampeders Calgary, Alberta McMahon Stadium 35,400 51 ° 4 ′ 13.18 '' N 114 ° 7 ′ 17.00 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 51.0703278 ° N 114.1213889 ° W ﻿ / 51.0703278 ; - 114.1213889 ﻿ ( Calgary Stampeders ) 1945 Dave Dickenson John Hufnagel Calgary Sports and Entertainment ( N. Murray Edwards, chairman ) Edmonton Eskimos Edmonton, Alberta The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium 56,302 53 ° 33 ′ 35 '' N 113 ° 28 ′ 34 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 53.55972 ° N 113.47611 ° W ﻿ / 53.55972 ; - 113.47611 ﻿ ( Edmonton Eskimos ) 1949 ( 1911 ) Jason Maas Brock Sunderland Publicly owned Saskatchewan Roughriders Regina, Saskatchewan Mosaic Stadium 33,000 50 ° 27 ′ 9.46 '' N 104 ° 37 ′ 27.09 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 50.4526278 ° N 104.6241917 ° W ﻿ / 50.4526278 ; - 104.6241917 ﻿ ( Saskatchewan Roughriders ) 1910 Chris Jones Publicly owned Winnipeg Blue Bombers Winnipeg, Manitoba Investors Group Field 33,234 49 ° 48 ′ 28 '' N 97 ° 8 ′ 35 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 49.80778 ° N 97.14306 ° W ﻿ / 49.80778 ; - 97.14306 ﻿ ( Winnipeg Blue Bombers ) 1930 ( 1887 ) Michael O'Shea Kyle Walters Publicly owned Map this section 's coordinates using OSM Map this section 's coordinates using Google Export this section 's coordinates as KML Export this section 's coordinates as GPX Map all microformatted coordinates Place data as RDF Lions Stampeders Eskimos Roughriders Blue Bombers Tiger - Cats Argonauts Redblacks Alouettes Defunct teams Team City Stadium Years active Baltimore Stallions Baltimore, Maryland Memorial Stadium 1994 -- 1995 Birmingham Barracudas Birmingham, Alabama Legion Field 1995 Las Vegas Posse Las Vegas, Nevada Sam Boyd Stadium 1994 Memphis Mad Dogs Memphis, Tennessee Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium 1995 Ottawa Renegades Ottawa, Ontario Frank Clair Stadium 2002 -- 2005 Ottawa Rough Riders Ottawa, Ontario Frank Clair Stadium 1876 -- 1996 Sacramento Gold Miners Sacramento, California Hornet Stadium 1993 -- 1994 San Antonio Texans San Antonio, Texas Alamodome 1995 Shreveport Pirates Shreveport, Louisiana Independence Stadium 1994 -- 1995 Teams that never played Team City Planned Debut Result of proposal Atlantic Schooners Halifax / Dartmouth, Nova Scotia 1984 Dissolved due to lack of stadium San Antonio Texans San Antonio, Texas 1993 Folded before beginning play Miami Manatees Miami, Florida Dissolved due to end of US operations Notes ^ The Hamilton Tiger - Cats were created in 1950 as a merger between the Hamilton Tigers ( founded in 1869 as the Hamilton Football Club ) and the Hamilton Wildcats ( founded in 1941 ). ^ The CFL considers the current Montreal Alouettes franchise ( founded in 1994 as the Baltimore Stallions, moved to Montreal and renamed the Montreal Alouettes in 1996 ) to be a continuation of the original Montreal Alouettes ( founded 1946, played in the CFL 1958 -- 1981 ) and Montreal Concordes ( founded 1982, renamed the Montreal Alouettes in 1986, folded just before the 1987 season ). However this does not include the Montreal Football Club that was formed in 1872, and joined the IRFU in 1907 -- 1915, and the Montreal AAA Winged Wheelers, who played in the IRFU during the 1930s and 40 's, winning the Grey Cup in 1931. ^ All Ottawa clubs including the previous Rough Riders and Renegades are combined with current Redblacks for historical consistency only, even though the CFL considers them separate clubs. ^ While football in Edmonton was first played in 1890, the Edmonton Eskimos recognize their first season in 1949. This was further evidenced by the `` 60 seasons '' decals worn on their helmets during the 2008 season. ^ Became Saskatchewan Roughriders officially in 1950, after the team became the only pro football team left in the province in 1948. Roughriders were originally called the Regina Rugby Football club from 1910 to 1924. then called the Regina Roughriders from 1925 to 1949. ^ Created by a merger of the Winnipegs and the St. John 's team on June 10, 1930, and become known as the `` Winnipeg Pegs '' before changing to the current name, Blue Bombers, in 1937. ^ Became the Montreal Alouettes in 1996 ; the league considers the current franchise a revival of the previous incarnation, not a continuation of the Baltimore franchise. ^ The San Antonio Texans formed in 1993 folded before playing a game. The 1995 Texans team were the former Sacramento Gold Miners, who moved to San Antonio in 1995. Timeline Note : team franchise history is listed as it is recognised by the CFL in its publication Facts, Figures and Records ( 2015 ). Potential expansion Potential CFL expansion markets are the Maritimes, Quebec City, Saskatoon, London, and Windsor, all of which have been lobbying ( unsuccessfully to date ) for Canadian Football League franchises in recent years. Maritimes Since the 1980s, the CFL has occasionally played exhibition and, later, regular - season games at various cities in the Maritimes, including Canada Games Stadium in Saint John, New Brunswick ; Huskies Stadium in Halifax, Nova Scotia ; and Moncton Stadium in Moncton, New Brunswick. The league conditionally approved an expansion franchise, the Atlantic Schooners, for play in the 1984 season, but the team never made it to play. Atlantic Canada lacks a permanently suitable CFL stadium, which was the main problem that kept the Schooners off the field. As of 2010, the largest stadium in the Maritimes is Moncton Stadium, which has 10,000 permanent seats and can reach 20,000 capacity with temporary seats. A pre-season game, dubbed Touchdown Atlantic, was held in Halifax in the 2005 CFL season and regular season games were played in Moncton under the same branding in 2010, 2011, and 2013. All 20,000 seats for the 2010 Moncton game sold out in 32 hours ; the 2013 game did not sell out. Former Commissioner Mark Cohon has stated that Moncton Stadium would require massive renovations, the cost of which would be comparable to that of constructing a whole new stadium, to host a CFL team permanently. In November 2015 the Halifax city council voted 9 -- 7 against purchasing land that would then be used to build a 20,000 - seat stadium. It was agreed that the price tag for the land was too much, but the close 9 -- 7 vote indicates municipal interest in building a near CFL sized stadium in Halifax. Although Atlantic Canada 's expansion bids have typically branded themselves as covering all of Atlantic Canada, the presence of football at any level in Newfoundland and Labrador is practically nonexistent and none of the efforts have attempted to include that province. Quebec City There has also been interest in adding a team in Quebec City. In 2003, an exhibition game was held at PEPS Le Stade Extérieur between the Montreal Alouettes and Ottawa Renegades where Montreal won 54 -- 23. In May 2009, Christina Saint Marche, a British businesswoman, announced her interest in operating a team in Quebec City -- stating that there would be a natural rivalry with the Montreal Alouettes. During the 2010 Grey Cup state of the league news conference, Cohon noted that the Alouettes hold the rights for the entire province of Quebec and that any expansion would have to be negotiated with them first. Another exhibition game was held in the city on June 13, 2015, when the Montreal Alouettes beat the Ottawa Redblacks 26 to 9. Since Ottawa was unable to use their home stadium TD Place Stadium at Lansdowne Park due to the 2015 FIFA Women 's World Cup this game was listed as Ottawa 's home pre-season game. Saskatoon Saskatoon last hosted top - level Canadian football in 1935 when the Regina Roughriders left the Saskatchewan Rugby Football Union to form the WIFU. The Saskatoon Hilltops ( along with another Saskatchewan - based team, the Moose Jaw Millers ) eventually suspended operations due to World War II ; the Hilltops would remain an amateur team when they returned in 1947 ( they have since played in the Canadian Junior Football League ). Saskatoon last won a provincial title in 1921 and by the point of the Hilltops ' closure, the Regina Roughriders had been the dominant team in the province for two decades. In early 2012, management at Credit Union Centre publicly expressed its desire to bring a CFL team to Saskatoon. However, the Regina - based Saskatchewan Roughriders have long branded themselves as a province - wide team, and claimed that Saskatchewan is too small to support two teams. In any event, Saskatoon also lacks a suitable outdoor stadium. Its largest, Griffiths Stadium which plays host to the University of Saskatchewan 's Saskatchewan Huskies, seats only 6,171 spectators. The Gordie Howe Bowl, which has hosted CFL exhibitions in the past, has even fewer seats ( it seats 3,950 people ). Season structure Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo looks down field with the ball during the 2005 Grey Cup game against the Edmonton Eskimos at BC Place Since Ottawa 's return to the league in 2014, the CFL season has included : A two - game, three - week exhibition season ( or pre-season ) in mid-June An 18 - game, 20 - week regular season running from late June to early November A six - team, three - week single elimination playoff tournament beginning in November and culminating in the Grey Cup championship in late November. Championship teams will play either two or three playoff games, including the Grey Cup game, depending on their standing at the end of the regular season. The division leaders at the end of the regular season receive byes in the first round of the playoffs. Pre-season Team training camps open 28 days prior to the first regular season game of the season, a camp solely devoted to first year players is allowed the 3 days before the main camp opens. The pre-season exhibition schedule is two weeks long with each team playing two games against teams from its own division. Regular season The regular season is 20 weeks long, with games beginning the weekend before Canada Day weekend and finishing by early November. The CFL 's nine current teams are divided into two divisions : the East Division with four teams and the West Division, with five teams. Each team plays two games against each of the other eight teams, plus two divisional games with opponents rotating each season. With 81 regular season games being played, each team gets two bye weeks except for one team that plays two games in one week and receives three bye weeks. The most popular featured week in the CFL season is the Labour Day Classic, played over the course of the Labour Day weekend, where the matchups feature the first half of home - and - home series between the traditional geographic rivalries of Toronto -- Hamilton ( a rivalry which began in 1873 ), Edmonton -- Calgary ( see Battle of Alberta ), and Winnipeg -- Saskatchewan. With the return of Ottawa, it is expected that they will resume playing Montreal to round out the week 's games. In years that Ottawa or Montreal were not in the league, BC would play against one of these teams. The following week 's rematch of these games is a popular event as well, especially in recent years, where the rematch of the Saskatchewan -- Winnipeg game has been dubbed the Banjo Bowl. Other features of the regular season schedule are the Hall of Fame Game and the Thanksgiving Day Classic, the doubleheader held on Thanksgiving where the match ups usually do not feature traditional rivalries. Starting in 2010, a neutral site regular season game was played in Moncton under the name Touchdown Atlantic, which has been played in three of the last four seasons. The league awards points based on regular season results ( two for a win, one for a tie and none for a loss ). As of the 2011 season, in the event two or more teams in a division finish the season with the same number of points, the tie is broken based on the following criteria ( in descending order ) : Number of wins in all games ; Winning percentage in games between the tied teams ; Net aggregate of points scored ( i.e. total points scored less total points conceded ) between the tied teams ; Net quotient of points scored ( i.e. total points scored divided by total points conceded ) between the tied teams ; Winning percentage in divisional games ; Net aggregate of points scored in divisional games ; Net quotient of points scored in divisional games ; Net aggregate of points scored in all games ; Net quotient of points scored in all games ; Coin toss Playoffs The playoffs begin in November. After the regular season, the top team from each division has an automatic home berth in the division final, and a bye week during the division semifinal. The second - place team from each division hosts the third - place team in the division semifinal, unless a fourth - place team from one division finishes with a better record than a third place team in the other ( this provision is known as the crossover rule, and while it implies that it is possible for two teams in the same division to play for the Grey Cup, only two crossover teams have won a semifinal since the rule 's 1996 inception, and neither advanced to the Grey Cup ). The winners of each division 's semifinal game then travel to play the first place teams in the division finals. Since 2005, the division semifinals and division finals have been sponsored by Scotiabank. The two division champions then face each other in the Grey Cup game, which, since 2007, has been held on the fourth or fifth Sunday of November. Grey Cup The Grey Cup The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the CFL and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. The Grey Cup is the second - oldest trophy in North American professional sports, after the Stanley Cup. The Grey Cup game is hosted in one of the league 's member cities. In recent years, it has been hosted in a different city every year, selected two or more years in advance. The Toronto Argonauts have won the most Grey Cups with sixteen wins total, most recently in 2012. In 2012, the game was held in Toronto at the Rogers Centre, and for the second year in row the cup was won on a team 's home field, Toronto beating Calgary 35 -- 22. In 2013, the Grey Cup was won at home for the third consecutive time ( by the Saskatchewan Roughriders ), which had not been done since Toronto won at home from 1945 -- 1947. In 2016, the Grey Cup was won on the natural grass turf of BMO Field by the Ottawa Redblacks beating the heavily favoured Calgary Stampeders 39 -- 33 in overtime ; the first Grey Cup championship for any Ottawa CFL team in 40 years. As the country 's single largest annual sporting event, the Grey Cup has long served as an unofficial Canadian autumn festival generating national media coverage and a large amount of revenue for the host city. Many fans travel from across the country to attend the game and the week of festivities that lead up to it. A 2014 survey found that 48 % of Canadians would prefer to watch the Grey Cup over the Super Bowl if they could only watch one or the other, with 52 % preferring the Super Bowl. Grey Cup appearances, active teams Team Wins Losses Total Last Won BC Lions 6 10 2011 Calgary Stampeders 6 7 13 2014 Edmonton Eskimos 11 8 19 2015 Hamilton Tiger - Cats 6 12 18 1999 Montreal Alouettes 6 8 14 Ottawa Redblacks 2016 Saskatchewan Roughriders 7 11 2013 Toronto Argonauts 6 9 2012 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7 6 13 1990 Since 2015, the Grey Cup game is presented by Shaw Communications. Awards Following the Grey Cup game, the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player and Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian are selected. A number of league individual player awards, such as the Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Defensive Player, are awarded annually at a special ceremony in the host city during the week before the Grey Cup game ; this ceremony is broadcast nationally on TSN. The Annis Stukus Trophy, also known as the Coach of the Year Award, is awarded separately at a banquet held during the off - season each February. While the CFL has not held an all - star game since 1988, an All - Star Team is selected and honoured at the league awards ceremony during Grey Cup week. Broadcasting See also : List of Grey Cup broadcasters The CFL Championship game, the Grey Cup, held the record for the largest television audience in Canadian history. Television coverage on CBC, CTV and Radio - Canada of the 1983 Grey Cup attracted a viewing audience of 8,118,000 people as Toronto edged B.C. 18 -- 17, ending a 31 - year championship drought for the Argonauts. At the time, this represented 33 % of the Canadian population. This has since been surpassed by the 2002 and 2010 Men 's Olympic Gold Medal Hockey Game. Canadian broadcasters Currently, the official television broadcasters of CFL games are cable network TSN ( which began televising CFL games in 1985 ), while TSN 's French - language network RDS broadcasts Montreal Alouettes games for the Quebec television market. Games are typically scheduled for Thursday to Saturday evenings during June, July and August, but switch to more Saturday and Sunday afternoon games during September and October. TSN has created a tradition of at least one Friday night game each week, branded as Friday Night Football. CBC and TSN drew record television audiences for CFL broadcasts in 2005. The 2006 season was the first season in which every regular - season game was televised, as the league implemented an instant replay challenge system. In 2006, the CFL also began offering pay - per - view webcasts of every game on CFL Broadband. Until the end of the 2007 season, CBC and RDS were the exclusive television broadcasters for all playoff games, including the Grey Cup, which regularly draws a Canadian viewing audience in excess of 4 million. Since 2008, TSN and RDS are the exclusive television and Internet broadcasters of all CFL games, including the playoffs and Grey Cup. The five - year agreement, which includes an option for a sixth year, is worth about $16 million annually and marks the first time since 1952 that CBC will not be broadcasting any CFL games. The CFL will no longer be broadcast on Canadian terrestrial television, unless TSN chooses to air the game on its terrestrial partners, CTV or CTV Two ( formerly A-Channel ) ; as of 2016, TSN has not transferred any CFL games to broadcast TV. The move to TSN all but assures that all CFL games will be broadcast in high definition. As of 2006, TSN was available in about 8.8 million of Canada 's 13 million households. The two play - by - play announcers are Chris Cuthbert and Rod Black while the colour commentators are Glen Suitor ( with Cuthbert ) and Duane Forde ( with Black ). Instead of merely exercising the option on the contract, TSN opted to renew the contract with the CFL ( and thus extend the terrestrial blackout ) through 2018 in an agreement announced in March 2013. In 2015, the deal was extended for an additional three years, granting TSN and RDS exclusive CFL television rights through to the 2021 Grey Cup game, along with exclusive Grey Cup rights for Bell Media radio stations. Foreign coverage On June 26, 2013, it was announced that the CFL 's U.S. broadcast rights would return to the ESPN Networks for the 2013 season, with five games airing on ESPN2, and 55 airing on ESPN3. This agreement was renewed in 2014 for five years, the same length as the TSN deal ( ESPN holds a stake in TSN ), with a stipulation that at least 17 games would be carried on ESPN2 ( or another ESPN network, such as ESPN or ESPNEWS ) each season, including the Grey Cup ; this gives ESPN exclusive CFL rights during this time frame. As in previous years, ESPN3 will carry all games not carried on one of the linear channels online. On June 19, 2015, it was announced that ESPN Brasil will broadcast CFL games live, beginning on June 25, as a result of the growth of the NFL and College Football fan base in Brazil. BT Sport, which has a licencing partnership with ESPN, has also carried CFL games in the British Isles since 2015. Previous broadcasting arrangements Canada CBC Television, which held a monopoly on Canadian television until 1961, held Canadian professional football broadcast rights beginning the year of its debut, 1952. CTV was born in 1961 part because Toronto businessman John Bassett had won the television rights to the Eastern Conference, and needed a network to air the games. From 1962 through 1986, CBC and CTV shared CFL broadcasting rights. They split playoff games and simulcast the Grey Cup. In 1962, 1965, 1967, 1968 and 1970, CTV commentators were used for the dual network telecast, while in 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1969, CBC announcers were provided. From 1971 through 1986, one network 's crew called the first half while the other called the rest of the game. After the 1986 season, CTV dropped coverage of the CFL and the Grey Cup. From 1987 through 1990, the CFL operated its own syndicated network, CFN. Like CTV, CFN split playoff games with CBC. However, CFN had completely separate coverage of the Grey Cup, utilizing its own production and commentators. From 1991 to 2007, all post-season games had been exclusively on CBC ; beginning in 2008, the Grey Cup and all other CFL games were carried exclusively on TSN, although the cable provider reserves the right to move the game to sister network CTV ( as of 2016, it has never done so, opting to broadcast that Sunday 's NFL games on CTV instead. ) United States The predecessor to the CFL 's East Division, the IRFU, had a television contract with NBC in 1954 that provided far more coverage than the NFL 's existing contract with DuMont. NBC aired games on Saturday afternoons, competing against college football broadcasts on CBS and ABC. The revenue from the contract allowed the IRFU to directly compete against the NFL for players in the late 1950s, setting up a series of CFL games in the United States beginning in 1958 and a series of interleague exhibitions beginning in 1959. Interest in the CFL in the United States faded dramatically after the debut of the American Football League in 1960. In 1982, during a players ' strike in the NFL, NBC broadcast CFL games in the United States in lieu of the NFL games which were cancelled ; the first week of broadcasts featured the NFL on NBC broadcast teams, before a series of blowout games on the network and the resulting low ratings resulted in NBC cutting back and eventually cancelling its CFL coverage. ESPN host Chris Berman became a fan of the game in the early days of ESPN, when the network used to air CFL games, and continues to cover the Canadian league on - air. FNN - SCORE ( unrelated to the Canadian The Score ) carried games in the late 1980s. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, SportsChannel America carried games, using CBC Television, CFN and TSN feeds. In 1993, several SportsChannel Pacific - produced games that were part of the Sacramento Gold Miners ' local package were also shown nationally. Beginning in 1994, with now four US - based teams in the league, ESPN reached a four - year deal with the league to produce and air two games per week and all post-season games on its fledgling ESPN2. They also put some games on the main network to fill broadcast time vacated by the 1994 -- 95 Major League Baseball strike. The 1994 and 1995 Grey Cups were shown live on ESPN2 and then re-aired on ESPN the following day, leading into the network 's Monday Night Countdown show. ESPN 's on - air talent included a mix of the network 's American football broadcasters and established CFL broadcasters from Canada. Most of the US - based teams also had deals with local carriers to show games that were not covered in the national package. Though there were no US teams in the league after 1995, ESPN2 continued showing games until 1997, albeit on a much lighter schedule. America One held CFL broadcast rights in the United States from 2001 to 2009 and aired a majority of the league 's games. Until the 2007 season, America One syndicated CFL games to regional sports networks like Altitude, NESN, and MASN ; these were discontinued in 2008, mainly because America One and the CFL were able to reach a deal only days before the season began, not allowing the network time to establish agreements with individual RSNs. The Grey Cup aired on Versus on November 22, 2008, with a replay the next day on America One. From 2006 through the 2008 season, Friday Night Football was carried exclusively on World Sport HD in the United States ; however, due to the January 2009 shutdown of that channel 's parent company, Voom HD Networks, America One reclaimed those rights. NFL Network took over the league broadcast contract in 2010. For the 2010 season, the network carried 14 games, no more than one each week. For 2011, the network increased its output to two games each week. NFL Network declined to continue its coverage after the 2011 season. In late July 2012, NBC Sports Network acquired rights to the CFL for the remainder of the 2012 season. The NBCSN deal included nine regular season games starting August 27 ( including Labour Day Classic games ) and all the playoffs. NBC Sports renewed their agreement with the CFL for the 2013 season. ESPN America carried a collection of CFL games as part of its lineup until the network shut down in 2013. Internet On the Internet, all radio broadcasts of CFL games are available for free through each affiliate 's Web site. As of 2010, ESPN3 is the only place where CFL games are broadcast on Internet television. ESPN3 ( and its predecessor, ESPN360 ) have broadcast games since 2008 ; the service is only available in the United States ( or its military bases ) through specially negotiated cable providers and not in Canada. Video broadcasts were free in Canada at one time, but are no longer available ; viewers are able to purchase previous games on the TSN website. A service known as `` CFL Broadband '' offered pay - per - view of CFL games in the United States and elsewhere prior to 2009, but the service ceased operations prior to the 2010 season. During America One 's time broadcasting CFL games, some CFL video feeds could be found for free due to the fact that a small number of America One affiliates streamed their video on the Internet, even though the CFL discouraged this. On June 16, 2017, the CFL announced it was launching a new International Service over the internet into 130 select regions. In Canada, Bell Mobility provides streaming of CFL games to its mobile devices, and TSN 's streaming service, TSN GO, provides Internet streaming of CFL games to Bell TV and Rogers Cable subscribers. Radio CFL teams have local broadcast contracts with terrestrial radio stations for regular season and playoff games, while TSN Radio owns the rights to the Grey Cup. In 2006, Sirius Satellite Radio gained exclusive rights for North American CFL satellite radio broadcasts and broadcast 25 CFL games per season, including the Grey Cup, through 2008. Players and compensation The CFL began enforcing a salary cap for the 2007 season of $4.05 million per team. The cap was raised to $4.2 million in the 2008 season and remained at that level for 2009. On June 29, 2010, a new collective bargaining agreement was ratified that raised the salary cap to $4.25 million for the 2010 CFL season and would continue to increase by $50,000 each season until 2013. In 2014, a new CBA was ratified and the salary cap was raised to $5 million per team, with that amount increasing again by $50,000 each year until 2018. Financial penalties for teams that breach the cap are set at $1 to $1 for the first $100,000 over, $2 to $1 for $100,000 to $300,000 over, and $3 to $1 for $300,000 and above. Penalties could also include forfeited draft picks. For 2010, the minimum team salary was set at $3.9 million while the minimum player salary was set at $42,000. With the new CBA in 2014, the salary floor was raised to $4.4 million per team with increases of $50,000 per year, and the minimum salary was raised to $50,000 per year. The average salary per player in 2014 was $96,000 CAD. Player compensation is not tied to league revenue, which remains a trade secret. Only the four publicly held teams in the league reveal their financial information, as those companies are required to do so under Canadian law. As of 2013, prior to Ottawa 's rejoining the league ( at which time Toronto, which is partially owned by a public company, was still fully private ), estimates of the CFL 's revenue varied between $150 million and $200 million CAD. In 2006, the active roster limit was increased from 40 to 42 and in 2014 it was again increased to 44. Each team must abide by the national / international ratio rule, which requires teams to keep at least 21 national players, ( `` a Canadian citizen at the time of signing his first contract, was classified as a non-import prior to May 31, 2014, or was physically resident in Canada for an aggregate period of five years prior to reaching the age of 18. '' ) with the other 23 players allowed to originate from any country ; quarterbacks, of which a team can carry three on a roster, can not be counted toward the national player requirement, which puts Canadian quarterbacks at a disadvantage compared to other positions in being hired by a CFL franchise. Teams may have up to two players on their reserve roster, and up to 10 on their practice roster. CFL players are represented by the Canadian Football League Players ' Association ( CFLPA ). Each team elects two players to the CFLPA Board of Player Representatives, which meets once per year. Every two years, it elects an executive Board of Directors. CFL draft For more details on this topic, see CFL College Draft. Eligible Canadian nationals ( usually from U Sports football or American college football ) are drafted by teams in the annual Canadian College Draft. The CFL Draft usually takes place in May and consists of seven rounds. The first two rounds of the draft are usually shown live on TSN. The CFL Combine ( formerly known as the Evaluation Camp ), similar to the NFL Combine, precedes the draft. A junior player in the locale of a team may be claimed as a territorial exemption and sign with that team before beginning collegiate play ( one recent example is when the BC Lions claimed Andrew Harris ). Teams maintain `` negotiation lists '' of players they wish to sign as free agents. League commissioners Commissioners Sydney Halter 1958 -- 1966 Keith Davey 1966 Ted Workman ( interim ) 1967 Allan McEachern 1967 -- 1968 Jake Gaudaur 1968 -- 1984 Douglas Mitchell 1984 -- 1988 Bill Baker 1989 J. Donald Crump 1992 Larry Smith 1992 -- 1996 John Tory 1996 -- 2000 Michael Lysko 2000 -- 2002 David Braley ( interim ) 2002 Tom Wright 2002 -- 2006 Mark Cohon 2007 -- 2015 Jim Lawson ( interim ) 2015 Jeffrey Orridge 2015 -- 2017 Jim Lawson ( interim ) 2017 Randy Ambrosie 2017 -- present Jump up ^ In 1989, the commissioner role was split into two positions. Bill Baker held the title of President / Chief Operating Officer. Roy McMurtry, Q.C. held the position of Chairman / Chief Executive Officer. When Baker resigned, McMurtry continued as Chairman and CEO until Crump 's appointment but did not serve as Acting Commissioner. Jump up ^ Between Donald Crump 's resignation and Larry Smith 's appointment, Phil Kershaw held the role of Chairman but was not acting Commissioner. See also Canadian football portal Sport in Canada portal Canadian Football Act Canadian Football Hall of Fame Canadian Football League attendance Canadian Junior Football League Comparison of American and Canadian football Football Canada List of attendance figures at domestic professional sports leagues List of Canadian Football League mascots List of Canadian Football League records List of Canadian Football League seasons List of Canadian Football League stadiums List of Grey Cup champions List of neutral site Canadian Football League games List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada Sports in Canada TSN Top 50 CFL Players References Jump up ^ 2009 Canadian Football League Facts, Figures & Records, Canadian Football League Properties / Publications, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 978 - 0 - 9739425 - 4 - 5, p. 281 ^ Jump up to : William Houston ( December 20, 2006 ). `` Grey Cup moves to TSN in new deal ''. Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved December 23, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2012 - 01 - 12. Retrieved 2012 - 01 - 11. Jump up ^ http://footballcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/FootballTimelines.pdf ^ Jump up to : `` Canadian Football Timelines ( 1860 -- present ) ''. Football Canada. Archived from the original on February 28, 2007. Retrieved December 23, 2006. Jump up ^ David George - Cosh, Football : Gaining a Foothold in Canada, Wall Street Journal, Nov 26, 2013. Jump up ^ `` CFL ends working agreement with NFL ''. National Post. Canada. November 25, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Bills ' plan exposes NFL - CFL relationship ''. Sportsnet.ca. October 20, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2010. Jump up ^ `` CFL Sees Numbers Rise At The Gates ''. Sports Business Daily. November 17, 2005. Archived from the original on March 10, 2007. Retrieved December 3, 2006. Jump up ^ `` 2012 CFL Attendance ''. Canadian Football Statistics Database. Retrieved May 31, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Sold - out stadiums and strong attendance across the board lead to highest average since 1983 ''. CFL.ca. November 8, 2007. Retrieved December 29, 2007. Jump up ^ url = http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=410346%7Ctitle=100th Grey Cup Game Sets Viewership Records for TSN accessdate = May 31, 2013 publisher = TSN.ca Jump up ^ `` Survey : Canadian interest in pro football is on the rise ''. Globe and Mail. Toronto. Canadian Press. June 8, 2006. Archived from the original on February 1, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Expansion project approved ''. En.montrealalouettes.com. Retrieved February 18, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Eskimos digging their new digs ''. Cfl.ca. May 27, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2011. Jump up ^ Canada ( May 4, 2010 ). `` Demise of famous roof begins BC Place renewal ''. The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved February 18, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Pan Ams will leave lasting legacy ''. Thespec.com. Retrieved February 18, 2011. Jump up ^ `` CFL Grants Conditional Team to Ottawa ''. TSN.ca. March 18, 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Blue Bombers moving back to West Division in 2014 ''. TSN.ca. September 13, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2014. Jump up ^ `` New Lansdowne designs unveiled ''. Cfl.ca. Retrieved February 18, 2011. Jump up ^ `` New five - year CBA ratified by CFL and CFLPA ''. CFL.ca. 2014 - 06 - 13. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 04. Jump up ^ `` Argonauts announce sale, move to BMO Field ''. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 04. Jump up ^ `` Argonauts debut at BMO Field a dandy ''. Toronto Sun. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 04. Jump up ^ Update on plans for downtown Regina domed stadium coming : Enterprise Minister Ken Cheveldayoff Jump up ^ `` Roughriders reveal plans to shift fans from old Mosaic Stadium to new facility in 2017 ''. 2016 - 03 - 18. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 04. Jump up ^ `` D - lineman Michael Sam signs with Alouettes ''. CFL.ca. May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Campbell, Morgan ( May 22, 2015 ). `` Michael Sam joins Alouettes, first openly gay CFL player ''. Toronto Star. Retrieved May 22, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Sam leaves Als training camp ''. June 12, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2015. Jump up ^ AP ( June 29, 2015 ). `` Michael Sam returns to Montreal, rejoins CFL 's Alouettes ''. Retrieved July 1, 2015. Jump up ^ `` CFL commissioner Orridge unveils league 's new logo -- Sportsnet.ca ''. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 04. Jump up ^ `` CFL, CFLPA agree on new drug policy for the 2016 season ''. CFL.ca. 2016 - 04 - 21. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 04. Jump up ^ `` Canadian Football League issues statement regarding Jeffrey L. Orridge ''. CFL.ca. 2017 - 04 - 12. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 13. Jump up ^ https://www.cfl.ca/2017/06/15/cfl-issues-statement-orridge-tenure-closes/ Jump up ^ `` Postmedia Q&A : CFL interim commissioner Jim Lawson ''. Toronto Sun. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 04. Jump up ^ http://www.torontosun.com/2017/06/28/randy-ambrosie-to-be-named-new-cfl-commissioner-report Jump up ^ `` Canadian Football League appoints Randy Ambrosie as 14th Commissioner ''. CFL.ca. 2017 - 07 - 05. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 05. Jump up ^ `` About the Ottawa REDBLACKS ''. Ottawa Redblacks. Archived from the original on 2014 - 02 - 17. Retrieved 2014 - 02 - 16. Jump up ^ Toronto Argonauts. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved on July 26, 2013. Jump up ^ http://www.kilmergroup.com/portfolio/sports-media/ Jump up ^ `` History of the Montreal Alouettes ''. CFL.ca. Retrieved December 4, 2006. Jump up ^ 2009 Canadian Football League Facts, Figures & Records, Canadian Football League Properties / Publications, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 978 - 0 - 9739425 - 4 - 5, p. 282 Jump up ^ `` History ''. Esks.com. August 23, 1978. Retrieved February 18, 2011. Jump up ^ `` History ''. Bluebombers.com. September 27, 2011. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011. Jump up ^ Facts, Figures and Records. Canadian Football League. 2015. ISBN 9780973275667. ^ Jump up to : No Name. `` Saskatoon CFL team under discussion ''. Ottawa : CBC l. February 1, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Walling : The CFL will be coming east ''. The Sports Network. Retrieved February 18, 2011. Jump up ^ Windsor ' ready and willing ' for CFL expansion team Jump up ^ `` Cohon has Moncton on his mind ''. National Post. Canada. Retrieved December 8, 2008. Jump up ^ `` CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE CFL 's Touchdown Atlantic ''. Newswire.ca. May 28, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010. Jump up ^ `` CFL game in Moncton a sellout ''. Canada : CBC. March 25, 2010. Retrieved October 5, 2010. Jump up ^ CFL may take a time out from Moncton games, Cohon says. CBC. Retrieved February 16, 2015. ( In this article, Cohon notes that the cost of necessary renovations would be C $100,000,000 ; this number is very close to the projected cost of Hamilton 's Tim Hortons Field, which was built from scratch. ) Jump up ^ `` CFL Snaps : Halifax wants right price to build football stadium ''. Toronto Sun. Retrieved 2015 - 12 - 01. Jump up ^ `` Calvillo, Alouettes hammer Renegades ''. CBC Sports Online. June 9, 2003. Retrieved December 2, 2006. Jump up ^ `` British woman wants football franchise in Quebec City ''. Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on May 11, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2009. Jump up ^ `` CFL road to Quebec City goes via Montreal : Cohon ''. CBC Sports Online. November 26, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2011. Jump up ^ `` REDBLACKS and Als set to play in Quebec City ''. CFL.ca. Retrieved August 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` CFL Game Schedule Announced ''. CFL.ca. February 14, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2007. Jump up ^ `` The Game ''. cfl.ca. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Partnership of champions ''. CFL.ca. August 8, 2005. Retrieved December 3, 2006. Jump up ^ Kelly, Malcolm. `` Argonauts corral Stampeders for Grey Cup on home turf ''. CBC. Retrieved November 26, 2012. Jump up ^ CBC News CFL still loved by Canadians, older people more than others : survey, CBC, Nov 28, 2014. Jump up ^ Grey Cup record book, 2011 ( PDF ), Canadian Football League, 2011, retrieved 2012 - 07 - 02 Jump up ^ `` Shaw, CFL announce Grey Cup sponsorship deal ''. Global News. Shaw Media. May 8, 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` Broadcast ''. CFL.ca. Retrieved December 3, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Schedule ''. CFL.ca. Retrieved December 3, 2006. Jump up ^ `` CFL announces updated schedule ''. CFL.ca. April 17, 2006. Retrieved December 3, 2006. Jump up ^ `` CFL to introduce instant replay for 2006 ''. CFL.ca. June 13, 2006. Retrieved December 3, 2006. Jump up ^ `` CFL debuts live webcast for entire schedule ''. CFL.ca. June 22, 2006. Retrieved December 3, 2006. Jump up ^ William Houston ( November 20, 2006 ). `` Minor rise in Grey Cup ratings good for CBC ''. Globe and Mail. Canada. Retrieved December 3, 2006. Jump up ^ Penton, Kirk ( 28 May 2015 ). `` CFL extends TV deal with TSN / RDS another three years ''. Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved 17 June 2017. Jump up ^ Stoneberg, Allison. ( June 26, 2013 ) ESPN to Deliver 60 Live Canadian Football League Games `` ESPN MediaZone. Espnmediazone.com. Retrieved on July 26, 2013. Jump up ^ ESPN & CFL reach multi-year US broadcast deal, CFL.ca Staff, June 27, 2014 Jump up ^ `` 404 ''. TSN. Retrieved August 6, 2015. Jump up ^ Derek Volner. `` ESPN Secures Exclusive U.S. Rights to Canadian Football League Games ''. ESPN MediaZone. Retrieved August 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` A bola oval está de volta à TV ! É a da CFL, mas já dá para matar a saudade ''. ExtraTime. Retrieved August 6, 2015. Jump up ^ https://press.cfl.ca/bt-sport-to-broadcast-2017-cfl-season-in-uk-and-ireland Jump up ^ `` 54, 40 or Fight '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on December 18, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2011. Jump up ^ Naylor, David ( November 22, 2008 ). `` Berman still shows loyalty to CFL ''. Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved November 23, 2008. Jump up ^ `` CFL available in all U.S. markets ''. CFL.ca. June 13, 2007. Retrieved June 13, 2007. Jump up ^ `` CFL moves to a new home in the US ''. CFL.ca. June 13, 2007. Retrieved June 30, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Canadian Football League back on NFL Network ''. Retrieved June 25, 2011. Jump up ^ McMillan, Ken ( May 25, 2012 ). No CFL on NFLN, eh ?. HudsonValley.com. Retrieved June 14, 2012. Jump up ^ 100th Grey Cup Game to air live in US on NBC Sports Network. Jump up ^ `` NBC Sports Network to showcase CFL in 2013 CFL.ca Official Site of the Canadian Football League ''. CFL.ca. Retrieved January 5, 2014. Jump up ^ https://press.cfl.ca/cfl-2017-season-to-be-livestreamed-in-more-than-130-countries Jump up ^ CFL broadcasters page. Retrieved March 6, 2008. Jump up ^ `` CFL Gets Sirius ''. CFL.ca. April 24, 2006. Retrieved December 3, 2006. Jump up ^ `` CFL salary cap wo n't change ''. Globe and Mail. Canada. Canadian Press. January 14, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` New CFL - CFLPA CBA at a glance ''. CFL.ca. Retrieved August 1, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` New five - year CBA ratified by CFL and CFLPA ''. CFL.ca. Retrieved August 6, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Salary Management System ''. CFL.ca. Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Some CFL players not happy with concessions made ''. CBC.ca. Retrieved December 27, 2014. Jump up ^ Hodgson, Glen and Mario Lefebvre. The pro sport market in Canada Archived September 10, 2013, at the Wayback Machine... Conference Board of Canada. Retrieved June 21, 2013. Jump up ^ https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/cfl-55-yard-line/percentage-league-wide-revenues-did-cfl-players-2013-224954281.html Jump up ^ CFL.ca -- Official Site of the Canadian Football League Archived October 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. CFL -- Import / Non-Import Classification Jump up ^ `` Canadian QB Marc Mueller speaks out against the CFL 's quarterback ratio rule ''. Yahoo ! Sports Canada. April 23, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Organization of the CFLPA ''. CFLPA.ca. Archived from the original on November 2, 2006. Retrieved December 3, 2006. Jump up ^ `` TransGlobe Evaluation Camp ''. CFL.ca. Retrieved May 22, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Harris completes journey from bleachers to Grey Cup glory ''. TSN.ca. November 28, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2011. Further reading O'Brien, Steve ( 2005 ). The Canadian Football League : The Phoenix of Professional Sports Leagues. Lulu Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4116 - 5860 - 8 Maher, Tod ( 2012 ). The Canadian Pro Football Encyclopedia : Every Player, Coach and Game. ISBN 978 - 0 - 9835136 - 3 - 6 External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Canadian Football League. Official Official website ( Mobile ) French Website Canadian Football League Players Association Media TSN SLAM ! Sports Rogers Sportsnet Score Media Other CFLapedia 13thman.com -- Home to CFL Fans Canadian Football League Teams West division BC Lions Calgary Stampeders Edmonton Eskimos Saskatchewan Roughriders Winnipeg Blue Bombers East division Hamilton Tiger - Cats Montreal Alouettes Ottawa Redblacks Toronto Argonauts Defunct Canada Ottawa Rough Riders Ottawa Renegades Atlantic Schooners ( never played ) CFL USA Baltimore Stallions Birmingham Barracudas Las Vegas Posse Memphis Mad Dogs Sacramento Gold Miners San Antonio Texans Shreveport Pirates Miami Manatees ( never played ) Awards West division Nicklin Martin Fieldgate Parker DeMarco - Becket Dryburgh James East division Evanshen Hayman McCaffrey Gibson Dandurand League - wide Grey Cup champions Grey Cup MVP Suderman Outstanding Player Canadian Defensive Player Offensive Lineman Rookie Stukus Pate Gaudaur Agro Defunct Lineman Jeff Russel Gruen Rogers Ross Taylor Dixon Broadcasting Canada CBC CFN CTV TSN United States NBCSN ESPN2 ESPN Lists Current announcers Grey Cup TV markets Other Individual records Team records Coaching leaders Retired numbers Seasons Stadiums Mascots Video game Attendance Draft Combine CFLPA Hall of Fame All - Star Game Touchdown Atlantic Canada Day Games Labour Day Classic Thanksgiving Day Classic Top 50 Players Neutral site games Canadian football portal Canadian Football League seasons 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2017 CFL season by team Western BC Calgary Edmonton Saskatchewan Winnipeg Eastern Hamilton Montreal Ottawa Toronto See also 2017 CFL Draft 105th Grey Cup Professional gridiron football leagues in North America American football Major National Football League Defunct national All - America Football Conference American Football League ( 1926 ) American Football League ( 1936 -- 1937 ) American Football League ( 1940 -- 1941 ) American Football League ( 1960 -- 1969 ) * * Continental Football League United Football League ( 2009 -- 12 ) United States Football League World Football League World League of American Football / NFL Europe / NFL Europa * XFL Defunct regional American Association ( 1936 -- 1941 ) / American Football League ( 1946 -- 1950 ) * American Football Association ( 1978 -- 83 ) American Football League ( 1934 ) American Football League ( 1938 -- 1939 ) American Football League ( 1944 ) Anthracite League Atlantic Coast Football League * Dixie League * Eastern League of Professional Football Fall Experimental Football League Midwest Football League National Football League ( 1902 ) New York Pro Football League Ohio League Pacific Coast Professional Football League * Regional Football League Seaboard Football League Spring Football League Stars Football League Texas Football League United Football League ( 1961 -- 64 ) Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit World Football League ( 2008 -- 10 ) * Official NFL minor league ; see also Association of Professional Football Leagues * * Now part of the American Football Conference, one of the components of the NFL. All teams still active. Canadian football Major Canadian Football League Predecessors Interprovincial Rugby Football Union Western Interprovincial Football Union Arena / Indoor football Current American Arena League Arena Football League Champions Indoor Football Indoor Football League National Arena League Defunct arenafootball2 American Indoor Football American Professional Football League Arena Pro Football Can - Am Indoor Football League Champions Professional Indoor Football League Continental Indoor Football League Independent Indoor Football Alliance Indoor Football League ( 1999 -- 2000 ) Indoor Professional Football League Intense Football League Lone Star Football League National Indoor Football League Professional Indoor Football League ( 1998 ) Professional Indoor Football League ( 2012 ) Southern Indoor Football League Supreme Indoor Football Ultimate Indoor Football League United Indoor Football X-League Indoor Football World Indoor Football League ( 2007 ) Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada Canadian Football League Major League Baseball Major League Soccer National Basketball Association National Football League National Hockey League VIAF : 147692658 ISNI : 0000 0001 0702 2817 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canadian_Football_League&oldid=804737637 '' Categories : 1958 establishments in Quebec Canadian Football League Canadian football leagues Professional sports leagues in Canada Sports leagues established in 1958 Organizations based in Toronto Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Articles containing French - language text Lists of coordinates Geographic coordinate lists Articles with Geo All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from May 2017 Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2006 All articles containing potentially dated statements Articles with inconsistent citation formats Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Français Galego 한국어 हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 10 October 2017, at 20 : 54. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: 1. how many teams currently compete in the canadian football league (cfl)
Answer: nine teams