Three-down football, ‘not going anywhere,’ CFL Commissioner says

Less than a year in, Stewart Johnston defends sweeping rule changes while highlighting the CFL’s growth and plans for a stronger future.

Canadian Football League (CFL) Commissioner Stewart Johnston reiterated his commitment to a ‘uniquely Canadian’ game as part of his State of the League address to media.

“I did not do enough to emphasize something very important,” Johnston said. “Our unwavering commitment to the Canadian game.”

The State of the League address Friday was Johnston’s first since taking over as CFL Commissioner in April.

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On Sept. 22, the league announced sweeping rule changes which will be implemented over the next two seasons.

They include:

• The field will be shortened from 110 yards to 100 yards.
• The end zones will be shortened from 20 yards to 15 yards.
• The goalposts will be moved from the goal line to the back of the end zones.
• The single point awarded for a missed field goal that goes through the end of the end zone will be removed.
• A new, automatic 35-second play clock will start after each play, replacing the current manual system.

Johnston continued to defend the decision.

“Three downs, 12 players, unlimited motion, 65-yard-wide field and huge end zones: these rules are not going anywhere,” the commissioner said. “The new rules embrace innovation and perpetual improvement while protecting what makes Canadian football special.”

When pressed by reporters about how the rule changes came to be and who was involved, Johnston said a committee of league office personnel took the challenge to grow the CFL head on.

“We counted 300 years of combined football experience, 200 years of combined professional football experience,” he explained. “They put their heads to it, it was a long process. We looked at data and at market research. When that all came together we said, ‘Oh, my goodness, these rule changes really protect what is Canadian about it.’ ”

The changes have drawn immense criticism from fans, players, coaches and media since its announcing.

A recent fan poll found fans who follow the CFL and National Football League very closely responded at 74 per cent in favour of maintaining the current rules while those who identify as following closely were 54 per cent in favour of the status quo.

“There was incredible consultation with some great minds,” Johnston responded. “Truly, our objective was to elevate and showcase this great Canadian game while protecting everything that’s unique about it.”

“I expected a lot of debate, and that’s fair. But the large majority of players, agents and coaches I’ve talked to have all been supportive,” he added.

Growing the game

According to Johnston’s address Friday, the CFL continues to grow its reach, ratings and revenue across the board.

“We’ve seen our business evolve and grow once again,” he said. “Consecutive years of growth across our key business metrics reinforce positive momentum towards achieving nine healthy teams and a sustainable future for the league.

“Attendance and the league’s media rights are our two largest revenue streams. So in terms of attendance, we’ve seen material growth in our three most populous markets in B.C., Toronto and Montreal.”

The league says a focus on curating content to meet fans where they consume media has been a driving force in growing the game, including on social media and broadcasting.

“Despite the increasing competition for ratings in a very cluttered marketplace, we have just achieved our third consecutive year of growth in our broadcast performance in the entertainment world,” said Johnston. “As we work to attract a younger audience, we focused on TikTok and achieved major gains on that platform.”

Still, there are challenges which need to be addressed.

“There are certainly opportunities to improve and ensure we have full stadiums, league wide,” Johnston added. “It is a grind, but our teams are focused daily on developing new ticketing strategies, creative group sales in-stadium experiences and leveraging personalized marketing to generate ticket sales and boost attendance.”

In hopes of continuing to grow, the CFL has announced a series of new initiatives to do so.

Starting in 2026, fans will be able to play season-long fantasy football.

The league will also be overhauling its own and team websites.

Digitally, new content, including an all-access look into the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes ahead of Grey Cup week, will be released in the offseason.

“Innovation in our content, and where we distribute it, is critical. It’s how we reach a growing and diversified audience,” Johnston said. “We know fans and casual viewers crave this kind of content and we must find ways to deliver more in order to maintain pace with the other major sports leagues.”

The CFL will also continue to increase investment and advocacy for grassroots football programs across the country, including flag football.

Schedule release

Johnston also confirmed in his address the 2026 CFL schedule will be released Dec. 9, 2025.

Next year’s regular season is expected to begin the first week of June, the same week it did in 2025.

However, as part of the announcement for the 2027 Grey Cup, the league confirmed the regular season will begin one week sooner starting that year in order for the 114th Grey Cup to be played on Nov. 7 in Regina.

With files from Jeff DeDekker.