The countdown to 2026 training camps across the Canadian Football League is officially on, but it\u2019s the future, not the present, that has everyone talking.<\/p>\n
The countdown to 2026 training camps across the Canadian Football League is officially on, but it\u2019s the future, not the present, that has everyone talking.<\/p>\n
This week, sweeping changes set for 2027 stole the spotlight from both the Canadian and Global drafts. A new season starts on the May long weekend, and an expanded playoff format, where eight of nine teams qualify, has ignited debate across the league.<\/p>\n
On the SportsCage, Saskatchewan Roughriders analyst Luc Mullinder offered a perspective that sits squarely between optimism and concern. From a business standpoint, Mullinder sees the upside.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re trying to create new revenue streams\u2026 and from that perspective, I think it\u2019s great,\u201d Mullinder said. \u201cIt shows the league is trying to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
And from inside the locker room, he doesn\u2019t expect much resistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoaches don\u2019t care they\u2019ll play anywhere as long as we can compete,\u201d he said. \u201cThat part won\u2019t change.\u201d<\/p>\n
But for traditionalists, the concern is real. The fear? That the CFL may drift too far from its identity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand people saying it Americanizes the game,\u201d Mullinder added. \u201cThat\u2019s a fair take.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, he supports evolution, even if it comes with growing pains.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least the league I love is trying to develop and move forward. It\u2019s going to be an adjustment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Where Mullinder does pause is with the competitive integrity late in the season. For him, the biggest risk isn\u2019t cosmetic, it\u2019s meaningful football in Weeks 17 and 18.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose games always meant something,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve been on teams where it came down to the wire.\u201d<\/p>\n
With nearly the entire league making the playoffs, that urgency could fade.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re risking teams resting players late in the year,\u201d Mullinder warned. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t like that 89 percent of the league gets in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Growth versus tradition, opportunity versus urgency. That\u2019s the balancing act now facing the CFL, and it\u2019s a conversation that\u2019s only just beginning.<\/p>\n