Will there be a 2021 CFL season?
Will there be a 2021 CFL season?
The Canadian Football League might still have an 18-game season starting in June. There is no guarantee, but teams have been busy making trades, hiring coaches, and re-signing players. This is the right moment to hunt for early-bird opportunities, like a Sports Interaction referral code, while all options are still open. At the moment, the teams are also willing to spend some money on free agents. On the other hand, the canceled 2020 season’s backlash is pushing to reduce expenses in 2021. Measures are being taken, like reductions in team offices and CFL headquarters.
Both teams and head office staff have seen their payroll cut, while coaches and players under contract have been asked to restructure their deals. There have been cases like former Edmonton receiver Ricky Collins Jr., who should have cashed a $33,000 roster bonus on Feb. 2nd but was released instead.
There still is a possibility that training camps in late May and games in June will not go ahead. The pandemic situation and the uncertainty over the distribution timeline of vaccines could not offer sufficient safety guarantees. The federal and provincial health authorities are the ones responsible for making decisions such as opening the Canada-U.S. Border or giving the green/red light to indoor and outdoor gatherings. A CFL season needs a sustainable size of audiences to support the whole effort.
Protocols detailing the return-to-play rules are being prepared by both the League and team officials. Everybody would be happy to get going as soon as the authorization is given to go ahead with a season. The are some more options, short of a full 18 games. A shorter format with 12 or 14 games is also possible. That would imply an early – to mid-August start after a July training camp. Other options include divisional games only without overnight stays. An east and west team could meet for the first time at the Grey Cup game in Hamilton. Limits to the number of fans in stadiums could be in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 fans in stadiums.
The League was generously helped by ticket holders and major sponsors, who did not ask for their money back through 2020. They will be back if the season does manage to get going in June or August, but there will be no more free meals if games do not start. Layoffs of staff are the remedy that League officials are mostly resorting to, in an effort to keep costs down while this situation of uncertainty lasts.
The executive director of the Canadian Football League Players’ Association (CFLPA), Brian Ramsay, has complained about players’ treatment, stating that “player salaries amount to just 30 percent of team expenses” across the whole League.
However, these rising revenues have not filtered down to CFL players. Brian Ramsay, the Canadian Football League Players’ Association (CFLPA) executive director, has recently suggestedthat “player salaries amount to just 30 percent of team expenses” across the whole League. The CFL, on the other hand, is extremely popular and very profitable. Still, the players are not getting their fair share of the revenue.
