{"id":697596,"date":"2026-05-27T17:49:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T17:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/697596\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T17:49:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T17:49:11","slug":"have-cfl-teams-lost-season-ticket-holders-due-to-rule-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/697596\/","title":{"rendered":"Have CFL teams lost season ticket holders due to rule changes?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: Matt Johnson\/3DownNation. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

The Canadian Football League is in a transition period after announcing several rule changes<\/a> that will be implemented over the next two years.<\/p>\n

Among those that will take effect for 2026 are a modification to the rouge, a new 35-second play clock, and a requirement for team benches to be located on opposite sides of the field. The league also recently ratified a rules committee recommendation to eliminate ties from the regular-season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The changes coming in 2027 are more drastic. The field will be shortened to 100 yards, the end zones will be shortened to 15 yards, the uprights will be moved to the back of the end zones, and the playoffs will be expanded to eight teams<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The reaction to these changes has been mixed. Nathan Rourke, the league\u2019s reigning Most Outstanding Player, called them \u201cgarbage,\u201d<\/a> while legends like Doug Flutie<\/a> and Henry Burris<\/a> have questioned their merit.<\/p>\n

CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston, who was hired last spring, has been slow to acknowledge the criticism, repeatedly touting that they were unanimously and enthusiastically approved by the board of governors<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The feedback from fans has been passionate \u2014 and, in many cases, negative.<\/p>\n

Almost 8,000 people signed a petition<\/a> calling for a delay and further consultation to the changes, though it appears to have been ignored by the league\u2019s stakeholders.<\/p>\n

At 3DownNation, we have received many emails and social media replies from fans expressing anger over the changes. In some cases, these notes have included threats to cancel season tickets or declarations of having already done so. Anyone who has spent time in CFL circles on social media has likely seen similar posts.<\/p>\n

This raises the question: have CFL teams actually lost season ticket holders due to rule changes?<\/p>\n

Do these emails and social media posts represent a small faction of tens of thousands of people turning away from the league? Or do they merely represent a few dozen diehards whose departure will go unnoticed?<\/p>\n

Last fall,\u00a03DownNation asked each of the CFL\u2019s nine teams if they\u2019d lost season ticket holders<\/a> due to the announcement of rule changes. With the 2026 regular-season now on the horizon, we\u2019ve asked each club for an updated statement.<\/p>\n

In the interest of full transparency, this was the inquiry posed to all nine teams: \u201cDid the team experience season ticket cancellations this offseason specifically related to the rule changes? If so, how many?\u201d<\/p>\n

Below are the responses we received.<\/p>\n

B.C. Lions<\/p>\n

\u201cOut of those who did not renew, eight percent of season ticket holders or 84 total tickets cited rule changes as the reason. By comparison, we calculated 45 percent of season ticket holders or 400 total tickets cited the schedule as the reason. 2026 is a special season for the B.C. Lions with our Touchdown Kelowna games and backloaded home schedule that starts in Week 8. Overall, we\u2019ve enjoyed an above average renewal rate for the 2026 season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calgary Stampeders<\/p>\n

\u201cSeason-ticket cancellations this offseason specifically related to the rule changes have been minimal. We have shown growth in our season ticket base for the first time since 2019 and for only the second time since 2015.\u201d<\/p>\n

Edmonton Elks<\/p>\n

\u201cSeason ticket member information is not something we\u2019d normally provide.\u201d<\/p>\n

For what it\u2019s worth, team president Chris Morris told\u00a03DownNation in March that the team had retained 95 percent of its season ticket holders from 2025<\/a> and were \u201cway ahead on (new) season tickets\u201d for 2026.<\/p>\n

Saskatchewan Roughriders<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a small number of season ticket members \u2014 in the single digits \u2014 who have chosen not to renew because of their opposition to the CFL rule changes. However, we have not seen the rule changes affect overall renewals or season ticket member growth in any substantial way. Throughout the offseason, we have seen strong renewal numbers from current season ticket members, along with exceptional growth in new season ticket memberships year over year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Winnipeg Blue Bombers<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t be providing a comment on this inquiry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hamilton Tiger-Cats<\/p>\n

No reply.<\/p>\n

Toronto Argonauts<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t typically share this type of information.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ottawa Redblacks<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t publicly disclose this sort of information. We appreciate you reaching out and giving us the opportunity to respond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Montreal Alouettes<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always maintain an open dialogue with our members and are committed to listening to their feedback and concerns. That said, for the 2026 season, we are not aware of any season ticket cancellations that were specifically attributed to the announced rule changes. Overall, we continue to see strong engagement and enthusiasm from our fan base heading into the 2026 season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though half the league\u2019s teams were unwilling to answer the question, the responses 3DownNation received are illuminating.<\/p>\n

On the west coast, the rule changes appear to have cost the Lions almost 100 season tickets, though far more fans cancelled due to the stadium displacement caused by the World Cup<\/a>. The same can\u2019t be said in La Belle Province, where apparently zero people axed their season tickets because of the changes.<\/p>\n

On the prairies \u2014 often considered the place where tradition matters most \u2014 Saskatchewan has claimed the changes cost them fewer than 10 season tickets. Granted, Rider Pride is nearing an all-time high coming off a Grey Cup victory, but this ardent support still seems noteworthy. Winnipeg didn\u2019t provide a statement, though the team sold out its entire 2025 season<\/a> and is hoping to do the same in 2026.<\/p>\n

The Stampeders have seen an increase in season ticket sales after few rules-related cancellations, which is likely due in part to the Grey Cup coming to town in November. With that said, the club also experienced a bounce-back season on the field last year as well as a 3.5 percent boost in attendance at McMahon Stadium.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t know the state of rules-related cancellations in Hamilton, Toronto, or Ottawa. For what it\u2019s worth, the Tiger-Cats experienced a 3.9 percent increase in year-over-year attendance in 2025, while the Argonauts stayed flat and the Redblacks declined 4.2 percent. Overall, the league\u2019s official attendance grew by less than one percent in 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With the CFL\u2019s most sweeping changes set to take effect in 2027,\u00a03DownNation will provide another update to this story next spring.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, enjoy 2026.<\/p>\n

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John Hodge is a longtime Canadian football reporter, insider, and podcaster for 3DownNation. Based in Winnipeg, Hodge is also a freelance television and radio broadcaster and curling reporter for Rock Channel.<\/p>\n

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