CFL Expansion

[GDAWG]

Point taken, but there are other cities, and Omaha may be the best. Nebraska isn't what it was and its more north.

But the city is less important than the points and approach.

Omaha would be a good option, as that baseball stadium has hosted football before (UFL)

i think FXFL even got in there? Another option - Memphis

But CFL needs to think Continental-ly; Canada is a small (pop) country of 38mm. And its saturated with teams, they need to retest USA and trying to create "America's CFL Team" may be worth a shot.

David Da Hammer on the CFL Fan Forum on the official site thinks Chicago is the perfect fit and that they could play at Soldier Field since the Bears are leaving it.

[4th&long]

Omaha would be a good option, as that baseball stadium has hosted football before (UFL)

i think FXFL even got in there? Another option - Memphis

But CFL needs to think Continental-ly; Canada is a small (pop) country of 38mm. And its saturated with teams, they need to retest USA and trying to create "America's CFL Team" may be worth a shot.

David Da Hammer on the CFL Fan Forum on the official site thinks Chicago is the perfect fit and that they could play at Soldier Field since the Bears are leaving it.

Chicago is a high cost city in a high cost state with a 100yo NFL team... I'd avoid that like the Plague.

Since CFL uses attendance to cover bills going into a smaller stadium, football loving city, with out major pro
sports teams and getting 15-20k shoudl be the target. They'd have 8 week of no NFL (preseason) 12 week of no CFB/NFL regular season. And yes they'd play at home mostly in this stretch.

It's all fantasy anyway but expanding in Canada alone is not going to add anything to the table. I'd go to 8 teams vs 10 if just Canada.

[GDAWG]

i think FXFL even got in there? Another option - Memphis

But CFL needs to think Continental-ly; Canada is a small (pop) country of 38mm. And its saturated with teams, they need to retest USA and trying to create "America's CFL Team" may be worth a shot.

David Da Hammer on the CFL Fan Forum on the official site thinks Chicago is the perfect fit and that they could play at Soldier Field since the Bears are leaving it.

Chicago is a high cost city in a high cost state with a 100yo NFL team... I'd avoid that like the Plague.

Since CFL uses attendance to cover bills going into a smaller stadium, football loving city, with out major pro
sports teams and getting 15-20k shoudl be the target. They'd have 8 week of no NFL (preseason) 12 week of no CFB/NFL regular season. And yes they'd play at home mostly in this stretch.

It's all fantasy anyway but expanding in Canada alone is not going to add anything to the table. I'd go to 8 teams vs 10 if just Canada.

Sure, but his reasoning is that the CFL needs to go big in regards to expansion South of the Border and believes that an expansion team in Chicago will work and will save the league.

[4th&long]

David Da Hammer on the CFL Fan Forum on the official site thinks Chicago is the perfect fit and that they could play at Soldier Field since the Bears are leaving it.

Chicago is a high cost city in a high cost state with a 100yo NFL team... I'd avoid that like the Plague.

Since CFL uses attendance to cover bills going into a smaller stadium, football loving city, with out major pro
sports teams and getting 15-20k shoudl be the target. They'd have 8 week of no NFL (preseason) 12 week of no CFB/NFL regular season. And yes they'd play at home mostly in this stretch.

It's all fantasy anyway but expanding in Canada alone is not going to add anything to the table. I'd go to 8 teams vs 10 if just Canada.

Sure, but his reasoning is that the CFL needs to go big in regards to expansion South of the Border and believes that an expansion team in Chicago will work and will save the league.

He's wrong IMO

[GDAWG]

Chicago is a high cost city in a high cost state with a 100yo NFL team... I'd avoid that like the Plague.

Since CFL uses attendance to cover bills going into a smaller stadium, football loving city, with out major pro
sports teams and getting 15-20k shoudl be the target. They'd have 8 week of no NFL (preseason) 12 week of no CFB/NFL regular season. And yes they'd play at home mostly in this stretch.

It's all fantasy anyway but expanding in Canada alone is not going to add anything to the table. I'd go to 8 teams vs 10 if just Canada.

Sure, but his reasoning is that the CFL needs to go big in regards to expansion South of the Border and believes that an expansion team in Chicago will work and will save the league.

He's wrong IMO

He is, but if you question him about it, he'll double down on it and call you a name.

[Lone Star]

I think they Have to go into the USA. Pick a town that's unlikely to have an NFL team in forseeable future, likely in center of America that lacks other major pro sports. Omaha, OKC, Tulsa, Grand Rapids.
Market and name them something that screams America... Colors Red, White and Blue. Nationals, Federals, Revolution, Freedom or even Americans.
Market them to USA as America's CFL team. Go for gambling and you may get some TV time during the dry 8 weeks early/mid-June to early August. Put some flex scheduling in place to avoid NHL/NBA playoffs in early June and other sports. Be flexible and imaginative.

Could they get an 8 week TV deal with that - likely, not much $ but they need to:

1) enter America's 330mm TV market
2) take advantage of the lull in football in USA in June-Early Aug
3) Seek out hardcore fb fans/gamblers in USA
4) Fill a dead gap in Sports in America on TV leveraging what they already are doing
5) Eliminate a weekly dead team non-game every week

Its risky and the rewards may not justify it but adding another team in Canada isn't the answer. It would make the league appeal much much more to me.

That can be a problem, because there's nowhere to put a team in Oklahoma City. And no, I doubt the University of Oklahoma will allow professional football of any kind at their 86,000 capacity stadium, despite the fact that Norman (where OU is located) is a suburb.

If the XFL wanted to go to Oklahoma City, you don't think Bob Stoops could woo a deal?

[Lone Star]

I think realistic is 12. Halifax, Quebec City (already a sizeable stadium to play in until new one built), and Windsor, where hopefully many people in Detroit would support as well.

In Windsor, Alumni Stadium seats 2,000, but there appears to be plenty of room to bring in enough temporary bleachers to expand capacity to at least what they sold in Wolfville.

Optimistic yet probably unrealistic: 16. My extra four would be Anchorage (unfortunately Alaska's population is shrinking), Boise, and Thunder Bay to push Windsor to the East, and then Buffalo.

Putting the league in non-CFL cities across the country obviously failed. Perhaps putting teams in major cities close to Canada would fare better.

[DavedaHammer]

i think FXFL even got in there? Another option - Memphis

But CFL needs to think Continental-ly; Canada is a small (pop) country of 38mm. And its saturated with teams, they need to retest USA and trying to create "America's CFL Team" may be worth a shot.

David Da Hammer on the CFL Fan Forum on the official site thinks Chicago is the perfect fit and that they could play at Soldier Field since the Bears are leaving it.

Chicago is a high cost city in a high cost state with a 100yo NFL team... I'd avoid that like the Plague.

Since CFL uses attendance to cover bills going into a smaller stadium, football loving city, with out major pro
sports teams and getting 15-20k shoudl be the target. They'd have 8 week of no NFL (preseason) 12 week of no CFB/NFL regular season. And yes they'd play at home mostly in this stretch.

It's all fantasy anyway but expanding in Canada alone is not going to add anything to the table. I'd go to 8 teams vs 10 if just Canada.

So is Toronto and Vancouver. The Argos were looking for low cost housing in one bedroom rentals for it's player once training camp broke. I don't know what had transpired from it, but at least the Argos were trying to get affordable housing for it's players.

Going to smaller markets won't get the CFL a lucrative TV deal after this year once the ESPN deal ends after the Grey Cup. ESPN didn't give the XFL a big TV deal when it didn't go to New York and LA, no matter what the Rock/Garcia/Bird Bird say.

I saying the CFL expands to US cities that are close to the US/Canadian Border. The CFL just needs three or four teams for it's US expansion, no reason to go to the deep South. Then maybe Quebec City, Halifax comes on board

[DavedaHammer]

I think realistic is 12. Halifax, Quebec City (already a sizeable stadium to play in until new one built), and Windsor, where hopefully many people in Detroit would support as well.

In Windsor, Alumni Stadium seats 2,000, but there appears to be plenty of room to bring in enough temporary bleachers to expand capacity to at least what they sold in Wolfville.

Optimistic yet probably unrealistic: 16. My extra four would be Anchorage (unfortunately Alaska's population is shrinking), Boise, and Thunder Bay to push Windsor to the East, and then Buffalo.

Putting the league in non-CFL cities across the country obviously failed. Perhaps putting teams in major cities close to Canada would fare better.

I agree. Twelve to fourteen team league is ideal.

Windsor would be a great new location, but the Ontario Gov't won't dole out money for a new stadium there. Windsor would draw from the 5 million population of Detroit, the regions of Sarnia, Chatham and far as London. I heard that Windsor wants a Canadian soccer team. Now if a potential CFL team owner and the soccer team group team up together to build and share the multi use stadium, the Province and the Fed's might listen.

[Tank55]

Would a CFL field fit into Ford Field? I imagine not, but that makes this immediately feasible. Quick search suggests it might be wide enough but not long enough.

Getting to an even number makes sense, but I don’t see how further expansion in Canada is going to grow shared revenue enough to justify the additional slices to the pie.