US Expansion!

I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s impossible mate, but it would be very uneconomical to do, becase the league would have to have stadiums be a minumim of 5,000 seats, water down the talent unless they elimante the import rule, which isn’t gonna happen, make the new expansion fee very cheap, etc etc etc.

A 20 team CFL at this point would do more harm then good to the CFL image, and make it a very amater pro league.

and having US teams in the CFL would destory the league as we know it, and turn it into the NHL, and I, for one, don’t want to see my Bombers pay in the south like the Jets becase their “better $$$ off” there.

Hhahahaha sorry did you say expand the CFL to Victoria?.. man, IN MY DREAMS!!! Unfortunately being an Islander I fully admit that i dont believe we could get more than 17,000 per game… ( unless we were playing the ‘BC Lions’… lol, then BC ferries better do some bargaining and such )

Saskatchewan can not support two teams. Yes the season tickets would hurt a little bit, though only 500 are from Saskatoon, though there would be others from Battleford, etc. Sponsorship would be down, since most sponsors are province wide, they are not about to doulbe their sponsorship money.

More teams also mean less Grey Cups in Regina, that combined with the government forgiving a million bucks are important reasons for the team being in the black. Who is going to pay for the stadium?

Nope, its Ottawa, Quebec City, HalifaxMoncton and a long shot at a place like London. I do not think a second team in BC is realistic in the next 20 years.

Only 3 Canadian cities could ever dream about getting a CFL franchise any time soon. None are a sure bet to even land one, let alone keep it going once they've got it. (One of the aforementioned keeps losing theirs). In order for any league to be successful, they must constantly be looking for ways to expand revenue. The status quo does not work. Once upon a time, the CFL was a STRONGER league than the NFL. Then the league got complacent and let a whole generation of fans slip away.
The NFL on the other hand looked to increase revenues any way they could. The rest is history.

In this country, revenues are pretty much maxed out. There hasn't been a true Canadian expansion team since 1954. Time to look at the obvious; in order to take the league to the next level; new revenue sources must be found. The place to find these new sources; the US.

The reason why US expansion failed last time was because they expanded out of need rather than want. They needed money bad. So instead of doing any due dillagence, they gave out franchises to places that couldn't find Canada on a map let alone follow its brand of football. The one market even somewhat close to the border pretty much lead the league in attendance, and went to 2 Grey Cups in as many years. (Yep, sounds like failure to me). :roll:

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IMo- would love to see Baltimore and Sacramento back in the CFl, if not those locals, Windsor/Detroit, - L.A- Portland would be good sites to, and what about NY, Chicago?- they have the population to easily sustane a cfl team agian ,imo

They have the population.
I doubt they have the intrest!

A team in Windsor could play in the Detroit Silverdome until they tear it down, but you'd have to live with the Gliebermans again, because they have the rights to the Detroit area if I'm not mistaken.

I'd love to see teams in Ottawa and Atlantic Canada. 10 teams would be perfect for quite a while.

If the staduim and sponsorship issues could be ironed out, Saskatoon can and could support a CFL team (and I’m not even from Saskatoon). Think about it…right now, when there is a game in Regina, over 10% of Regina’s population goes to the game. Would this not be the case in Saskatoon then too?

Can’t believe we’re discussing this (sigh) yet again! But…NO U.S. EXPANSION EVER AGAIN! The game should stay in Canada. But unlike many people on here I do not think it should be in Ottawa. It’s failed there more then once…that should be a sign. Quebec and the Maritimes should be the main focus on expansion right now.

Ottawa has the stadium.

It is the only Canadian city that is CFL ready.

Won’t say yes or no only that if a big-time deep pocketed person wants a team in the States who is classy and respectable in every way, do not turn them away, makes no business sense to me.

The short-term impact on Canadian based teams in terms of competiveness is hard to guage, as BC beat Balitmore in their first Grey Cup tilt (Pasaglia won it on a field goal), but then Baltimore won the Grey Cup the next year. The choice of cities and ownership would be crucial. And an incremental approach with regular assessments of success would be very important...

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I don't think there is a way to enforce the import rule south of the border.

That's why the one place I would consider would be Windsor, playing games in Detroit if necessary until they build their own stadium.

Gee, another expansion poll. :roll:

I say no for the same reasons I said no in the other 20 expansion polls.

(1) US Labour laws will never change so the Canadian Teams will be at a disadvantage.

(2) Other than Baltimore, (and a few CFL posters from across the border) Most Americans could care less about the CFL.

Forget Saskatoon and Victoria. Population just wont do it.

Halifax, Quebec City, and maybe Ottawa can support a CFL team. Thats probably it.

Some suggest that London could support a team also because the Mustangs get good crowds.

The question is how many CFL fans travel from London to support the Argos or the Ticats?

I think the answer to the ratio problem would lie somewhere in the idea of an American team having to play a certain amount of “non imports” from their home state. Meanwhile dcrease the number of overall non imports to about 10-12 while mandating that 2-3 must start on each side of the ball. At those numbers I feel we have plenty of Canadians who could not only compete, but excel. I can see the day when a number of Canadians would play on American teams because they are simply better than the competition.

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Sorry East VanMark, US laws will not allow for the type of rules you suggest.

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Thats some major IFS that you seem to be passing over. GIve me a realistic means of solving these issues and then I will consider it.

The fact is that Saskatoon did have a team at one time, but it failed because Saskatoon was not a football town. Just look at the type of coverage the Riders get today in Toon, it still is not a football town. Why would you think it is a given at 10% is a given in Saskatoon? Did Ottawa get 10%? In fact what other team in the CFL gets a percentage that is even close to the Riders?

How can you guys say that 10% of Regina's pop. goes to the games? Does nobody travel from out of town to the games, every seat is filled by local bodies?

The coverage in Saskatoon is also split towards the Huskies.... you know, that team that perennially (I most likely spelled it wrong) challenges for the Vanier Cup? And the Hilltops, the team that is almost always in the mix for the Canadian Junior title? No, nobody in Saskatoon follows football at all....................... :roll:

Having said all that.... I do not believe there are physically enough people in the province to support two professional teams. As a kid, before I understood such things, I thought it'd be great cause we wouldn't have to drive all the way to Regina to watch the games... but that was more that I wanted the Riders to re-locate to Saskatoon instead. How could I cheer for a non-Rider team????

How can you guys say that 10% of Regina's pop. goes to the games? Does nobody travel from out of town to the games, every seat is filled by local bodies?

The Riders average 25,000 fans a game and Regina's population is 190,000 people so 10% of Regina's population is 19,000. The other 6,000 might come from places outside of Regina. I know there are bus trips from Saskatoon on a weekly basis and I have heard there are 250 season-ticket holders in Saskatoon alone. In fact, I sat behind a couple of guys who had season tickets and lived in Prince Albert which is even farther north than Saskatoon. Anyways, this is where I am getting my numbers from. I wasn't saying only Regina fans come to Rider games.