CFL Season Ticket Barcode Question

CFL fans: I'm doing a project to identify when each pro sports team introduced barcodes on their season tickets. Have completed the NFL, NHL, MLB & NBA.

This is useful to know, as barcodes paved the way for the ultimate dystopian movement to a plastic card for all games and elimination of hard physical tickets altogether in favour of the digital format.

While one would think teams would take a similar approach, there has been wide deviation. The Oakland As, for example, already introduced ST barcodes in 1984.

Pretty confident the first year for barcodes on season tickets will fall in the 2002-07 range for every CFL team, at the earlier point for the Argos and Alouettes. Would be very helpful if a season ticket holder could confirm when their team introduced barcodes on STs, as one can't find many STs posted online.

Thank you in advance for any help!
-Shawn

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I’m sure that everyone here will look through their drawers for old ticket stubs to help you out Stigs. Just a heads up though… the CFL is always a little slow to adopt new ways due to the added expense. According to the CFL’s Technology Office (located in downtown Toronto in the basement of Mort’s Funeral Parlor) they plan to release this year’s season tickets on papyrus, which is a step up from the last year’s stone tablet edition.

I have a barcode question as well, if you’re sitting in a bar with 3 others, each of which have bought a round of drinks.
The server comes to our table for the fourth time, is it OK for me to change tables?

Wait…Wait, I got another one…you want to tip the server after serving you all night.

You give the server a $20…
…then ask for $18 in change?
:rofl::laughing::upside_down_face:

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Those questions can be answered in the ‘Official Canadian Bar Code of Conduct Rules’ which is a word for word copy of the American ‘He Who Smelt it Delt it Fine Dining Handbook’.

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No kidding, dude. Most major sports introduced barcodes on season tickets in the 1997-2003 era. Figuring out the precise CFL years they were introduced is pretty straightforward for those with season tickets in the 2003-07 era.

Ottawa Renegades didn’t have barcodes in their existence in 2002-05. I have narrowed down all other teams, will be in the mid-2000s for most, a bit earlier for TOR & MTL. Anyone who can help, would be greatly appreciated.

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@stigs17 - You can also go to each of the team's websites and e-mail them too. I'm pretty sure they can help find that out.

The league office might also know too, but I'm not so sure.

Most teams outright banished physical tickets due to recent world events

You should also inquire first Grey Cup tickets to feature barcodes (just a suggestion)

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I still have my ticket stub from the first Blue Jays game in 1977 at Exhibition Stadium.
No bar codes. There was no beer either.

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No Beer?! Obviously that bar wasn’t up to codes.

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Excellent tips, K-Max, will contact teams. My concern is given the turnover in marketing and similar departments, one won’t reach individuals who were around when barcodes were introduced (upwards of 20 years ago).

Hence my thinking that the boards are the best resource to find the real fans that were going to the games in the mid-2000s. Thanks for the help.


Ditto. Have a mint 1977 Blue Jays opening day ticket (attached), one of the better ones in the collection. Below that is a signed ticket from Erik Karlsson’s NHL debut @ NYR in 2009.

First Grey Cup with barcodes was 2003 in Regina @ the 91st GC. But they still released a couple non-barcoded games after then, 2008 in Montreal being the last. From 2009 onwards, every GC game has had barcodes.

If only it were as easy to determine the individual teams. Just need someone who was a season ticket holder in the 2003-07 era who can look at a ticket for each year. Have most teams narrowed down to a 2/3 year window in the mid 2000s.

Surprised there is nobody online displaying their CFL ticket collection from this era, at least I can’t find any.

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Very cool. Glad someone knows how to attach photos!

Ebay has a few vintage CFL tickets on display.


Game 2, 1972 Summit Series, Toronto

My favourite tea service.

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Good job, Stipley. That's exactly where I went first, checked ebay, kijiji and similar re-sale sites. Then photo site searches, google & yahoo searches. Problem is, you don't find any CFL season tickets in the 2003-07 era, at least not now.

Wayback Machine is an interesting resource to see sites as they existed at different points in time, though it's mainly all text, they didn't archive photos from the period.

The Ottawa RedBlacks had barcodes from their inception in 2014, as expected. Can confirm every other CFL team had barcodes in 2008. Most did not in 2003, Toronto and Montreal being the exceptions. Thus the years worth knowing are 2003-07, everything else is irrelevant in determining when barcodes were introduced on season tickets.


BTW, congrats on Hamilton in hosting the 2021 Grey Cup. Game was incredible. Attended both days of the main East & West parties with a buddy and enjoyed both, plus the Spirit of Edmonton at Industria. Met awesome fans from all the teams, including many GC regulars.

A scaled-back version of typical fan festivals, but a nice tune-up for 2023, which should be off the charts.

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Wow, that is impressive, what a throwback!

Yep. My son and I attended the Grey Cup in Hamilchuck. It was so much fun :grinning:

The proprietor of Candlelight & Memories in Stouffville always serves me with this cup and saucer because she knows I’m a big CFL fan :grinning:.