CFL commissioner names Quebec City as leading contender for expansion team

CALGARY · CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston says Quebec City has emerged as the leading contender for a 10th franchise in the league. Johnston made the comments Friday during his second state of the league address in Calgary, saying the CFL has held substantive conversations with a prospective owner in the Quebec capital. He said the league has been engaged in productive talks with a local ownership group there. Johnston declined to identify the person, though Quebec real estate developer William Trudel has previously spoken to media about his interest in a CFL expansion club.

"We are encouraged by those, and we can say that Quebec City has emerged as the leading contender for the 10th franchise in the CFL," Johnston told reporters. "There is still a lot of work to do and when there's something more to report, we'll hand it over to you." He said the process requires due diligence and is a step-by-step endeavour. Johnston would not say if or when a Quebec City franchise might be up and running, noting that no 10th team has been announced and there are no target dates.

He praised the market's strong football culture, positive population growth and supportive economic industry. Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand has voiced his support for the project. "That is such an incredible market," Johnston said. "When we think of the regional rivalry that a team there could develop with the (Montreal) Alouettes, that would be spectacular." A new stadium would need to be built, but Johnston said university venues like Laval's Telus Stadium could serve as a temporary home during construction.

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The CFL has long sought a 10th franchise, and Johnston said the league is also talking to other Canadian markets. He initially declined to comment when asked directly about Halifax, a city previously championed for expansion, but later said interest in the Atlantic region has not waned. "We've seen with Touchdown Atlantic the success we can have there," Johnston said. "So certainly our interest in that region has not waned simply because we're discussing other markets."

League changes coming in 2027

Johnston's address also outlined significant changes coming to the CFL next season. Sunday's Grey Cup between the Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Elks will be the last played on a 150-yard field with goalposts on the goal line. Starting in 2027, fields will be 100 yards between the goal lines with 15-yard end zones, and goalposts will move to the back of the end zones. Johnston said the league expects all nine clubs to have fields that reflect the new guidelines and that progress is being made in discussions with them.

The 2027 regular season will open on the Victoria Day weekend, moving the start from early June to late May. This will push rookie and training camps to late April and the CFL draft roughly two weeks earlier. The Grey Cup will be played on Nov. 7 in Regina, the earliest date in league history. The playoff format will also expand, with eight of the nine teams qualifying for the post-season instead of the current six.

Johnston faced significant fan backlash when he first unveiled these changes, with critics accusing him of trying to Americanize the Canadian game. He said the reason for moving the goalposts was to allow for more touchdowns to be scored. "This is, absolutely, at its core, a Canadian game," Johnston said. "This three downs, 12 players, a wide field, unlimited motion, it's all of those things." He claimed 90 per cent of the feedback he receives in public is positive about the league's direction.

With files from The Canadian Press, CBC News and Sportsnet