More from the CFL Winter Meeting
[b]CFL fans should soon be able to start planning their summers.
Last year's schedule was revealed on Feb. 12, and CFL president and COO Michael Copeland is hoping fans will see it even earlier this year. There could be some hurdles that prevent that from happening, though.
“The schedule is an incredibly difficult one at the best of times,? Copeland said Thursday in Winnipeg, where the CFL's annual winter meetings are being conducted. “This year it's made more difficult with the 2015 Women's World Cup and the Pan Am Games in southern Ontario. We're working on it, we're hopeful in the next short while we'll be able to release a final version.
“We're going through some final changes with the teams, so we've sent the teams a final draft to review. They're reviewing it, and then coming out of that there inevitably will be some tweaks.?
The word is it's going to be another rough schedule for the Argos, who have to fight for time at Rogers Centre this year with both the Blue Jays and the Pan Am Games. Last season, primarily due to the Blue Jays schedule, the Argos went seven weeks without a home game.
“That's one of the things we're trying to make sure we make it as good as it can possibly be, but there's challenges there,? Copeland said. “The Argonauts have been really resilient in working through those challenges, but that's one of the things that we're still working on.?
A couple other item from this week's meetings:
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The search for a new commissioner continues, and there's a chance the final interview process could take place at the board of governors meeting in late February. The league would like to have someone in place before the season starts, but “it's more important for the search committee to find the right individual,? Copeland said.
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Like most professional sports leagues, the CFL is always trying to figure out ways to attract new fans. That's why Raptors “superfan? Nav Bhatia, who is a big reason why Toronto's NBA team has such a diverse fan base, was in Winnipeg on Thursday to give a presentation to the league and its nine teams.
“You always have to maintain your core fan base, and we have an extremely strong one,? Copeland said. “So we're committed to them, but reaching out to new fans and younger fans in new ways is important for any league. It's a priority for us.?[/b]
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