The Canadian Football League is giving fans the clarity they crave in regards to the 2026 season.
In his State of the League address ahead of the 112th Grey Cup, commissioner Stewart Johnston announced that the 2026 CFL schedule will officially be unveiled on December 9. That date is a full five weeks earlier than the schedule release in 2025, which came on January 16.
That substantial course correction comes after the league was subjected to persistent public criticism for its delayed announcement last year. The late release was attributed to “a variety of competing factors” and came after the holiday season, when many fans needed a clear plan for gift-giving.
This year’s projected release date is more in line with previous seasons. The 2024 schedule was unveiled on December 14, while the 2023 schedule was released on December 13. The 2022 schedule was released on December 16, only four days after the 2021 season, which was shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic, ended.
However, late schedule announcements are not unprecedented. In 2017, the CFL waited until February 7 to put out their slate, while it took until March 5 for an unveiling in 2013.
The league’s proactive approach to 2026 is especially impressive due to the unique challenges that the league will face next season. Two franchises, the Toronto Argonauts and B.C. Lions, will be evicted from their stadiums during the summer in order to make room for the FIFA World Cup. The Argos have elected to play three home games in road venues — Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, and Hamilton — while the Lions will host a pair of games at a temporary venue in Kelowna. All the logistical difficulties associated with those changes will have to be ironed out in time for the release.
The CFL will have to get used to working on a condensed timeline, as they have already revealed that the 2027 season will be moved up by a week. That could mean an even earlier schedule release next year.
