[MonctonRad]

Talks of CFL in Moncton continue

CFL commissioner, Mayor George LeBlanc spoke this week about possibility of team based in the city

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff

It's probably a bit early to be shopping for souvenir Moncton Maritimers jerseys -- it's way too early in fact to say what a Moncton-based CFL team would one day be called -- but at least the right people are talking about the idea.

The commissioner of the Canadian Football League told the Times & Transcript earlier this month that he looked forward to talking to Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc about the possibility of the league expanding into Atlantic Canada.

It took a few weeks for LeBlanc and commissioner Mark Cohon to find time in their hectic schedules to have a chat, but Moncton's mayor said yesterday they finally got the opportunity this week.

"We talked about Moncton and looking for opportunities for the future," LeBlanc said. "We agreed to keep exploring the idea (of a CFL franchise here)."

"I also pointed out to him that we are used to hosting big events," LeBlanc said, recounting that he mentioned the success of the Magnetic Hill concert site, particularly in hosting the Rolling Stones and the Eagles. "We have a track record here and we know how to do it," he said.

Beyond keeping the lines of communication open, the mayor said it was a good chance to ensure Cohon was aware not just of the facilities Metro Moncton has, but the facilities the city is building.

Would CFL players one day be practicing at the Rocky Stone field currently being upgraded significantly? Would they play games at the city-owned outdoor stadium being built on the Université de Moncton campus for the 2010 IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships?

Cohon said the league is in a position to look at expansion with last year's average stadium attendance reaching its highest since 1983. Television ratings are also up 19 per cent so far this season.

"We are now going to start really thinking about what are the new opportunities for the league and expansion is definitely on our agenda and is something we need to explore," Cohon said.

The CFL last tested the waters for possible expansion into the Maritimes in 2005 with an exhibition game held in Halifax.

At that time, former commissioner Tom Wright was looking at the feasibility of adding a 10th CFL franchise by 2008, but only if a 25,000-seat stadium was in place and the league was convinced private financial backers were in place.

The stadium being built in Moncton will come close to that 25,000 seat number, and the design allows for some expansion.