The Canadian Football League is set to commence its 2027 season earlier than usual and introduce a revamped playoff structure. Starting next year, the CFL’s regular season will begin on the Victoria Day weekend in May, marking the earliest start in its history. In 2026, the season kicks off on June 4, featuring a match between the Montreal Alouettes and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Commissioner Stewart Johnston expressed excitement about the upcoming changes, stating that the CFL will have a prominent presence all summer long. The league plans to create dedicated CFL long weekends, starting from Victoria Day and extending to Thanksgiving, to offer fans engaging events both in stadiums and for those watching from home.
A significant alteration to the CFL playoffs format will see eight out of the league’s nine teams participating in the post-season. The playoffs will now consist of three rounds leading up to the Grey Cup game, as opposed to the previous two rounds (division semifinal and final). Johnston emphasized that the new format aims to provide more games, increased drama, and enhanced entertainment for fans.
Moving forward, the top two teams in each division will compete in first-round playoff games, with the winners securing a bye to the Grey Cup semifinals along with home-field advantage. The losing teams will enter the second playoff round, while teams ranking below the top two in each division will be seeded from fifth to ninth, with the ninth seed not qualifying for post-season play.
The fifth and sixth seeds will host play-in games against the seventh and eighth seeds during the same weekend as the divisional contests. Winners of the play-in games will advance to the second round, while the losers will be eliminated. Subsequently, the losing teams from the divisional matchups will host the play-in winners, with the victors progressing to the Grey Cup semifinals and the defeated teams exiting the competition.
The winners of the divisional matchups will face the winners of the elimination games, with matchups based on regular-season records. The successful teams will advance to the Grey Cup game scheduled for November 7.
Both the CFL and the CFL Players’ Association have endorsed the changes, emphasizing the benefits for players, league growth, and excitement. Discussions between the league and the players’ association focused on tangible player benefits, including increased financial opportunities. The CFL is also preparing for alterations to its playing field in 2027, such as reducing the field size to 100 yards, shortening the end zones to 15 yards, and relocating the goalposts to the back of the end zone to encourage more touchdowns.
The 2027 CFL draft is scheduled for April 13, with rookie camps commencing on April 21, followed by the opening of training camps three days later.