After CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston announced rule changes to be implemented in 2026 and 2027, speculation ran rampant that it could lead to expansion into the United States. However, he claims that was not a motivation behind the decision.
“It is not our objective,” Johnston said during his State of the League address. “When it comes to expansion, I’ve often been asked that question. While it’s not a top priority — I’ve outlined what my three top priorities in the league office are — of course, it’s incredibly important. We would love to have a 10th team in this league, but when I say 10th team, I mean a Canadian 10th team. That is our focus.”
If the three-down league is not looking to put teams south of the border, there are some long-talked-about markets in Canada where franchises might work. Johnston said he has fielded “inbound calls” over his seven months as commish from interested owners with the financial means to be able to operate a CFL team, noting there have been conversations in a number of different markets.
“Our strategy, as it relates to expansion, whether it’s the East Coast, whether it’s Quebec City that’s been talked about a lot, or anywhere else in Canada, is to be pulled into a market,” Johnston said.
“We want that interested group that’s going to have the financial wherewithal, the political connections, and the infrastructure plan to pull us into a community because they’ve done the work. We give them a lot of background in order to do so. Those conversations are happening across the country, I’m looking forward to seeing where they go.”
Quebec City has been viewed by many pundits as an ideal place for a CFL expansion team. Telus Stadium can seat 12,750 people with additional standing room taking the capacity up to at least 20,000. Laval University’s football program has nurtured a large fan base in the city, as the Rouge et Or have won 12 Vanier Cups since entering U Sports football in 1996.
“There is no doubt Quebec City is an incredible football market. You see what they’ve done with Rouge et Or; they have a fan base there for the game of football, which is impressive. It’s a great population base. I’m excited about that as one of the potentials for expansion,” Johnston said.
Rouge et Or president Jacques Tanguay has said publicly in the past he does not believe there’s proper infrastructure in Quebec City for a CFL team, but he did acknowledge it’s a project that could perhaps happen one day.
