Reasons for not playing each team home and away each season

How does that old axiom go? Something like if it ain’t broke, don’t try and fix it. Here in Ottawa we did not play Winnipeg at all in the regular season in 2021. Our reward was playing them home and away for the first two games in 2022. We do not play the BC Lions this regular season. I’m sure whoever made this change to the scheduling model would try and justify this change financially. I really cannot think of any other consideration that would justify this change. Anyone else feel shortchanged when paying for season tickets and not seeing all the other teams?

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There are a couple of reasons that I can think of:

  1. East-West games tend to attract smaller crowds and TV viewership. (Not to mention cost more for travel.)

  2. Since the league has divisions and the playoffs are seeded by divisions, it makes more sense to have the schedule weighted more heavily with divisional matches.

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I think it’s to mask the lack of parity between East and West. When the schedule was balanced, the discrepancy was clear and obvious. By having play mostly within the division, it artificially inflates eastern teams’ records so the two divisions look more evenly matched.

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105 percent the reason

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welcome to the CFL forums :slight_smile: thanks for posting!

i tend to agree with both @Hit.em.hard and @Capital_Dave on this.

Well the Grey Cup kinda proves which team is stronger at the end of the year (won by east last year)
As do the cross over games (funny the “better” west can never win a cross isn’t it? Stronger team, better record, but fold like lawn chairs when playoffs start)

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It would have been interesting to see how last year would have played out had the teams been seeded properly according to records. Toronto seeded 4th, on the road out west instead of a bye and an easy home game. Do they even make it to the final game? I doubt it. Not much meaning to a gifted “victory” if you ask me.

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No the Grey Cup doesn’t prove that. We’ve had this conversation before and am not going to go back and forth again on it. Just can’t let your false conclusion stand unchallenged.

If the East is so strong then they shouldn’t be so scaredy cat to play a balanced schedule in a one division format and earn their way into the big game. That didn’t happen last year again as the Argos were gifted a home play in game they had no business hosting as the 4th seed. Had they went to BC as they should have for the play in game it is likely they wouldn’t even have been playing in the Grey Cup.

As it stands they needed a lot of luck and a bad game by their opponent, especially their kicker, to eke out a one point win after being gifted a spot in the game in the first place. As always the Western team faced a tougher road to the game and a much tougher regular season schedule, which tends to take it’s toll even on a great team.

Your conclusion isn’t supported by the facts.

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oh yeah. Well your facts are not supported by my conclusions :slight_smile:

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Wait until the league has 32 teams in eight divisions and then see how many non-divisional teams come to your town every year…

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I personally prefer the full interlocking home and home schedule to be honest . Its only a 9 team league it would be nice to see each team live every year . I mean I’m just speaking from a Cats fan perspective but we had an absolute ridiculous stretch last year where we played only Toronto and Montreal for six consecutive games . Played Toronto four times and Montreal twice in that stretch .

Honestly there is no reason in my book as to not go back to the old home and away set with each team in the West . The final eight games can be home and away within division with the remaining two games rotated between teams in your division on a yearly basis .

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I always enjoy seeing every team as well. Winnipeg only played Toronto once last year on the road and again this year at home.

The NHL also used to not have every team visit at least once a year but then changed it after fan complaints

I want to see every player at least once a year

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I hear you and agree with you 100% . I mean holy Hell I had to travel all the way to BC last year just to see Rourke play which is ridiculous . Furthering the example we don’t play in Calgary this season , so Bo-Levi and the Stampeder fans don’t get an opportunity for a homecoming game against their old QB and visa versa for Bo to play there this season and it’s a missed PR opportunity by the league with such foolish scheduling .

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This league’s penchant for self-destructive actions is astounding.

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Mindboggling to say the least .

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the idea that a 9 team football league doesn’t have every team play each other at least twice is ridiculous IMO. but then so is the two divisions.

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They have it down to a science don’t they?

So we have a legit Canadian QB starring the league for the first time in generations and at least one team never got the chance to see him play live during his storybook season.
And another team plays only one opponent for 3/4 weeks of the season thereby cheapening their annual “rivalry” game.
Again
Absolutely ridiculous.

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But it’s much cheaper to have as many Hamilton/Toronto games, than flying to Vancouver or Calgary and staying in hotels. With Hamilton/Toronto players can drive themselves or take a team bus between the two stadiums.

And of course the most important thing is the rivalry. If Toronto can get Hamilton at home a couple of times a season they will be guaranteed a lot of Hamilton fans taking the short trip to BMO
BC in Toronto is not a good draw.

If the league has to pinch pennies to a point where member teams need to limit trips to play road games then things really are dire. It makes the CFL look bush-league.

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But it’s been that way for years.
It’s about selling the game to fans and the TV ratings, Hamilton fans would rather see the Argos twice than the BC Lions. It’s about rivalries.
There are Argo fans that only come out when the Ticats are at BMO.