CFL Current/Future Franchises

[Guelphite]

Originally Posted by Dalreg

Vancouver Island
Kelowna
Saskatoon
Quebec City
Moncton
Halifax
St John's
and One more team in Southern Ontario. (London or KW)

I agree with all of the above except Moncton and St. John's. It would make a great 16 team league...but it's 30 years away!

[GernB]

CFL will never have more than ten teams, and even that's a stretch, seeing as how Halifax has never been able to get a stadium built and apparently has no interest in building one unless someone else pays for it.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Guelphite

I agree with all of the above except Moncton and St. John's. It would make a great 16 team league...but it's 30 years away!

And why would you place Kelowna higher than Moncton? Moncton has a strong football tradition and a larger catchment population.

[SaskScraper]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

And why would you place Kelowna higher than Moncton? Moncton has a strong football tradition and a larger catchment population.

..maybe because Kelowna has larger pop and has another 100 thou within 45minutes drive with Vernon and Penticton? Okanagan Sun have a relatively strong following..I don't really know actually.. i'd think both NB and BC interior each could garner a CFL following if promoted ala Sask Rider Nation style..
..although didn't the last CFL Atlantic touchdown not sell out in the maritimes?

Originally Posted by esquire
I agree. I mean, if NYC can have two NFL teams then surely Toronto can handle two CFL teams.

In some respects, a new GTA team could possibly help to reignite the Argonauts. It's worth a shot... and unlike Halifax, there is probably a solid case to be made to build a mid-sized (20 to 40 thousand seat) stadium in the suburbs.

I think the real elephant in the room is GTA's idea that grass is greener and everything is always better across the border.. people there don't know exactly why but they think NFL is a better fit than CFL in TO.. playing against the likes of Green Bay Packers seems way more suited to TO's Mt Olympus aspirations than playing against any hick CFL team no matter what team they got..
Adding more teams in TO would just dilute the low football draw as it is, make a weaker CFL overall and re-enforce TO's idea that CFL is nothing without TO. Get Argos up to specs first, get some sort of sports media following in the city, then see about adding to the mix.

[Guelphite]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

And why would you place Kelowna higher than Moncton? Moncton has a strong football tradition and a larger catchment population.

Because Kelowna has just as many people in their 1.5 hr-2hr catchment area (if not more). And it is growing faster. It's people have more disposable income. IMHO it has a better chance to succeed; but not for another 20 years when it gets sufficiently big enough. The base city is also much larger (200,000 people in Kelowna vs 120,000 in Moncton). Neither city can support a team for the foreseeable future.

[Horus]

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

I think the real elephant in the room is GTA's idea that grass is greener and everything is always better across the border.. people there don't know exactly why but they think NFL is a better fit than CFL in TO.. playing against the likes of Green Bay Packers seems way more suited to TO's Mt Olympus aspirations than playing against any hick CFL team no matter what team they got..
Adding more teams in TO would just dilute the low football draw as it is, make a weaker CFL overall and re-enforce TO's idea that CFL is nothing without TO. Get Argos up to specs first, get some sort of sports media following in the city, then see about adding to the mix.

Next season in Toronto will be very telling for the CFL's long-term prospects in the GTA. Optimistically, with a more stable schedule and a venue of proper scale, the Argos could bounce (sorry) back and reclaim their standing and place in the city's sporting landscape. Perhaps then, after some stabilization period has passed, there could be potential for a 2nd GTA team in the North or East of Metro Toronto.

I'll admit, I hadn't thought of Toronto as a candidate for potential expansion, but these posts over these past couple of days have certainly provided some good food for thought.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Horus

Next season in Toronto will be very telling for the CFL's long-term prospects in the GTA. Optimistically, with a more stable schedule and a venue of proper scale, the Argos could bounce (sorry) back and reclaim their standing and place in the city's sporting landscape. Perhaps then, after some stabilization period has passed, there could be potential for a 2nd GTA team in the North or East of Metro Toronto.

I'll admit, I hadn't thought of Toronto as a candidate for potential expansion, but these posts over these past couple of days have certainly provided some good food for thought.

I think that's a fair assessment. Between an owner who has done little but keep the team on life support and a stadium landlord that is indifferent at best (and outright malicious at worst), the last few years have been brutal for the Argonauts. In many ways it's do or die for them in the next couple years, although I think it'll be a much more favourable set of circumstances with better ownership and a venue that will lend itself to better scheduling and a better atmosphere in light of what the Argos actually manage to draw.

As for expansion, because Toronto is such a blank slate when it comes to the CFL (I think it was Andy6 who said something to the effect that at one point many people in Toronto ignored the Argonauts, now many of them don't even know who the Argonauts are), an expansion team might be a tenable prospect. It's not like a team in Markham or wherever would cut into the Argos' existing fanbase. It's basically a new market for the CFL's purposes.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Maybe not next season but definitely the one after that should give some indications. I expect some bumps and a bit more interest due to the new venue it is after that honeymoon that we'll see real information.