If Stewart Johnston’s mandate was to drastically change the CFL’s landscape upon being named commissioner slightly more than a year ago, he has succeeded.
But when his run comes to an end — because everyone has a shelf life in professional sports, even the majordomo of the second-best football league in the world — will Johnston have done more harm than good?
On Tuesday afternoon, only hours before its Canadian college draft, the CFL announced it would be severely revamping its playoff system for the 2027 season. It was a measure that was , when team presidents, general managers, head coaches and Johnston convened for winter meetings.
On the surface, only one thing jumped out: Eighty-one regular-season games will be played over 21 weeks in a nine-team league to eliminate one club from the playoffs.
We were stunned.
A league that already has a severe image problem and has difficulty selling tickets and attracting a younger fan base is going to play 81 games over a five-month span to determine which team was so bad it’s not worthy of post-season inclusion? Well now.
The playoffs are the most exciting time in pro sports; we get it and totally agree. And most every pro league has increased its playoff format to include more teams while building hope and excitement for spectators late in the regular season. But Johnston has gone too far.
The CFL’s new format means 88.9 per cent of its teams reach the playoffs, which is an increase of more than 20 per cent. But the other four major pro sports leagues in North America have significantly smaller playoff pools, while being considerably more popular.
Forty per cent of MLB teams qualify for the playoffs. In the NFL, it’s 43.8 percent. Half of the 32 NHL teams make it, while the total increases to 66.7 per cent, including play-in games, in the NBA.
Johnston acknowledged Tuesday he has created a potential maelstrom, but believes — hopes — fans will look beyond what appears to be an obvious farcical move.
“I fully acknowledge that eight out of nine teams make the playoffs. You don’t hear that too often,” Johnston said. “We think this format rewards your regular season to such a degree that we’re going to get past that.”
Like anything in life and sports, the CFL’s decision comes down to one thing — money. And in a league that relies on gate revenue, not to mention the television deal with TSN and RDS that generates a reported $50 million annually, every dollar counts, especially because that sponsorship agreement expires after the coming season.
The playoffs have presenting sponsors every year — companies that pay to have their logos or decals on uniforms or the back of helmets.
Alouettes receiver Tyson Philpot, left, who was named the top Canadian in the Grey Cup, and kick returner James Letcher Jr. arrive with the CFL trophy at Mirabel airport on Nov. 20, 2023. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
This season, there will be five playoff games — two division semifinals, two finals and the Grey Cup. But beginning in 2027, that total will increase to nine. You don’t have to be a math genius to determine more games will lead to increased sponsorship revenue that’s equally distributed to its membership. Money that seven of the nine teams, including the Alouettes and billionaire owner , desperately need.
This is all based on survival, and Johnston, a former TSN president, probably realizes his league is battling an upstream current without a paddle or life jacket.
The CFL’s fan base is aging rapidly. Attracting a younger clientele has been an onerous, if not impossible, mission. And while increasing the number of playoff games will bring in additional revenue, it might not necessarily translate to additional attendance.
The at Molson Stadium (capacity 23,035). The team had only one sellout: its traditional October Monday afternoon Thanksgiving game. Even its semifinal playoff game against Winnipeg drew an embarrassingly low 19,785 fans.
The CFL’s average, meanwhile, was 22,931. It is a league that plays before thousands of empty seats in Toronto, its largest market, and in traditional hotbeds like Edmonton and Calgary. Even Saskatchewan and Winnipeg — the only two franchises that turn a profit — have empty seats every game.
And under this new format, more games will be played and more seats will have to be sold.
The Alouettes could complete the regular season at home, finish first, host the “division showdown” against the second-place team, lose and host a third consecutive playoff game in the second round the next week. Good luck with attempting to sell that, especially in October and November while going up against the Canadiens. Not even P.T. Barnum could succeed, although more games will mean increased money in the players’ pockets, earning the endorsement of the CFL Players Association.
While we believe the revamped playoff system is carved in stone, we’ve already heard rumblings that some of Johnston’s other 2027 bold moves — shortening the field to 100 from 110 yards, 15-yard end zones and goalposts being moved back — could be scrapped after severe public criticism.
And for those wondering, the Ottawa Redblacks, who finished 4-14 last season, would have been the only team to miss the playoffs. Edmonton (7-11) and Toronto (5-13) would have qualified. Don’t get us started on that.
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
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