CFL terminates league office staffers, furloughs many more amid COVID-19 financial crisis

The CFL is making cuts to its league office staff amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Postmedia reporter Dan Barnes has the details:

More unfortunate fallout from the cancellation of the #CFL season. Head office in Toronto down to 41 staff working reduced hours after nine terminations and 20 furloughs. Among the furloughed is VP of football ops Kevin McDonald.

There were also furloughs in the following departments: Grey Cup and events (5), data, IT and team services (3), revenue (3), communications (2), creative and design (2), and brand, digital and content (3).

Steve Daniel, who joined the league full time in 2007 and revolutionized the way the CFL compiled and deployed statistics, is among those let go. He’s in year two of a PhD in archaeology at UBC. His successor at the CFL, Jeff Krever, has been furloughed.

The plan was to have Daniel and Krever work on the transition over the course of the 2020 season. COVID took care of that idea. Daniel is still determined to help out Krever and the league, but needs to fit it into his new life.

“They have told me that they’ll bring me back if they can,” said Daniel. “My response is that I appreciate that, but I may not be in a position to accept it. We just don’t know yet.”

The downsizing began shortly after the cancellation of the 2020 season. The most prominent name is McDonald who has worked for the league for almost 20 years and is one of its longest-serving staff members.

The league has been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis and the lay offs are just the latest unfortunate example.

3Down Staff