Where would 12 teams be?

American teams are not even an option because the US labour laws prevent teams from abiding with the Canadian players ratio. All teams have to use the same rules.

12 teams would be great, and I think that Halifax is the right choice for team 10. Quebec City would be a great choice for expansion, great football tradition, natural rivalry, untapped population base. So that makes it an 11 team league. The big problem is where in the west can you put another team? I just don't think there is any viable city/region out west that hasn't been tapped already.

windsor could potentially work. but i would choose halifax first. they need something to cheer for.

Je pense que ce serait une bonne idée d'ajouter une équipe à Québec, ça ferait une maudite grosse rivalité entre Montréal pis Québec. :smiley:

You're not too far off there Newfie. London is about 2hours drive from either Hamilton or Toronto (city limits) and while it is technically considered part of Hamilton's "territory", I don't think too many people make the trip along the 403 to get there.

But I digress...London is at best the 3rd best candidate in the East for a new team.

Je suis en accord avec SuperNick. Je pense q'une équipe en Québec est une bonne idée (my apologies for poor spelling en français)

#10: Quebec

Basically for all the reasons above, they had an NHL team and they're probably itching for some pro sports action. It's also a natural fit for the two-division structure.

West: BC, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg
East: Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Quebec, Montreal

Every team plays every other team TWICE! EXACTLY!
Plus there's room for an all-star game. You can regulate byes (I personally prefer a single bye for all teams at the halfway point, meaning week 10 would be null). Also, opens up the possibility of a full-league playoffs (I don't like them though), where 4 and 5 in each division would play-in to face 1 in week 2, week 2 is 1 vs 4or5, 2 vs 3, and so on from there.

#11a: Halifax

We're not looking so much for attendance here...if the CFL can cut costs and expand, as well as survive with 5,000 seats per game, this would be a great location for expansion, less for economics but more for grassroots promotion. Don't expand to 11 without a 12.

#11b: London

Cause everyone else is saying it :frowning:

#12a: Saskatoon
#12b: Victoria

The biggest issue with 12 teams is the schedule. It's a gem if you have a 16-game season. Sticking in an extra 2 games really sucks though.

A three-division system is an option, although you get the same thing going on, but worse. 14 games (6 in division, 8 out), plus 4 to mull around with. 4 three-team divisions is going off the deep end, yes, but works a little nicer, giving you those two games in the two-division system that you're looking for. Better to allocate zoning within 6-team divisions for that though:

Western Division
Mountain Zone: Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary
Prarie Zone: Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg
(Edmonton would switch with Saskatoon if Saskatoon was Victoria instead, Mountain Zone would be called Pacific Zone)
Eastern Division
Central Zone: Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton
Atlantic Zone: Montreal, Quebec, Halifax
(Ottawa would switch with Halifax if Halifax was London instead).

This is way too complex though.

It's great to see french fans here on this site; it's just too bad all the accents have to be obscurred with those annoying ASCII characters, it makes it awkward to read. :frowning:

I don't know about London and the CFL. Right now London is enthralled with its new hockey arena and isn't thinking football too much. But one thing I will say is that somewhere in southern Ontario, there is a market for an open-field type stadium catering to tailgaiting. Where that should go I don't know exactly but my thinking is that a stadium for the TiCats between Hamilton and Brantford, near the 403 where people from Kitchener and London could go, would work real nice. Now if I only had the money!

But I really want another team in Quebec, even over Halifax, this would be very good for the Als.

Heres is an idea I have had for awhile:
Western Conference:
Pacific Division
-Victoria (Thunderbirds? Destroyers?) - Vancouver Island pop. 750 000.
-Vancouver Lions
-Calgary Stampeders
Prairie Division
-Edmonton Eskimos
-Saskatchewan Roughriders
-Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Eastern Division:
Great Lakes Division
-Ottawa Renegades
-Toronto Argonauts
-Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Atlantic Division
-Montreal Alouettes
-Quebec City (Patriotes? Castors? Citadelles?) - population of Quebec is greater than both Hamilton and Winnipeg, and they have Universite de Laval.
-Halifax (Schooners? Whalers? Raiders (think Privateers)?)

The schedule would work in this way:
3 games vs. division team, (6 games);
2 games vs. conference/non-division, (6 games);
1 game vs. other conference team, (6 games).

What do you think?