NFL coming to Canada...how would this affect the CFL?

Question

Rumor on the Toronto news wires this morning have the Argonaut owners laying groundwork to purchase an NFL franchise and move it to Toronto. All other issues aside...stadium size and suitability, exchange rates (which are currently very favourable to such a move) and everything else...

How would this affect the CFL?
Unlike previous talk, does the fact that this is current CFL owners (instead of people involved with the Blue Jays and/or Maple Leafs) involved change your thoughts?

Answer 1

It looks like a lot of people either didn't read the article or failed reading and comprehension. The CFL and the Argos are going to minimize the damage such a move could cause by basically making sure the Argos owned the team. In doing so they hope to expand the interest in football in Canada to include both leagues rather than see another owner come in and try to tear up the market in order to make his bread. It's called being offensively proactive and it sounds good in theory. Trouble with putting an NFL team in Toronto is the Bills could lose about 15% of their season tickets holders and another 15% of their walk up crowd.
I'm not taking it very seriously because there still is no NFL team in LA for starters and there are still a number of US markets like Las Vegas that also want teams.
When the league is looking for team number 39 & 40 perhaps then the NFL will come knocking on Toronto's door but definitely not before then.

Answer 2

While there will continue to be stories of the NFL coming to Toronto until the end of time, I won't believe it happening until I see it. Then I'll go out and buy season's tickets, heh heh.

Nah, but in all seriousness, KingstonSean raises a valid point. I went to the International Bowl game at Rogers Centre, and there were big stretches of concrete between the sideline and the seats because the U.S. College field didn't take up enough space on the stadium floor. I also agree that you won't see an NFL team move into a 50,000 seat stadium anytime soon. The only team that plays in one right now is Indianapolis, and they're in the process of building a new stadium with a much larger seating capacity. Yes there's the possibility that a group from Toronto could buy the Bills when Ralph Wilson dies, but wasn't there also the possibility of the Nashville Predators moving to Hamilton? Or the Pittsburgh Penguins moving to Winnipeg? I'm not gonna worry about the future of the CFL until I see some hard evidence to show that the NFL will be expanding or moving a team to Canada. Right now, it's all just speculation, and it's all coming from our side of the border.

Answer 3

As for the CFL, I think that it would be very difficult news to weather. I think that the league already has a scope issue with only 8 teams and it is finding it difficult to regain a team in Ottawa or expand to Halifax.

I do think that the economics of a NFL team in Toronto would eventually lead to the Toronto Argonauts folding. and without Toronto in the picture, I think it would be difficult to impossible for the league to continue in a meaningful way. First the television deals would diminish and then the league would follow.

I do hope that the NFL decides to head in a different direction. They still need to reestablish the NFL in LA and northern Mexico has a strong interest and very wealthy investors who have a desire for a team. However, Jerry Jones is very influential and does not want a NFL team in Mexico. This is currently "Cowboy Country" and he wants it to remain that way.

I hope this is just a rumour. I am an American living in a Canada and I am a big CFL fan.

Answer 4

They'll need a new stadium. Dimensionally, the Rogers Centre is too big for NFL football (seats would be too far from the field) yet too small in terms of actual seats (less than 50,000). FedEx Field, home to the Washington Redskins (the most valuable pro sports franchise in the world at $1.3 billion) has over 80,000 seats. It "only" cost about $250 million when it was built, but it is a "cheap" stadium. Very basic and no retractable roof, which is killing its chances of hosting the Super Bowl.

The new Cowboys stadium will have over 80,000 seats, 200 corporate suites, and a retractable roof. It will cost over $1 billion when it is finished.

Any new NFL franchise will need way more than 50,000 seats. Toronto would have to have a retractable (or fixed) roof. An open air stadium won't work.

The Houston Texans franchise cost $700 million (Forbes pegs their current value at $791 million).

So, any new franchise in Toronto is going to cost about $1.5 to $2 billion (franchise and stadium). Who's going to come up with that kind of money? If I had that kind of money I'd push for an NHL franchise in Hamilton.

Anyway, an NFL franchise in Toronto would kill the Argos, and maybe the Ticats as well (no "walking dead" jokes please).

Without the southern Ontario TV market the rest of the league would fold. They might try to operate as an all-Canadian (no import players) league with new teams in Quebec City, Ottawa, and Halifax, but it wouldn't last.

One more comment: I'm a CFL fan and Als season ticket holder. I drive 3-1/2 hours each way to see the Als play and I don't miss more than one game per year. I'm also a Redskins fan and I've been to two games at FedEx field. I would miss the CFL. The NFL is made for TV, and especially for Tivo (DVR). With all their TV time-outs and 40 second play clock the NFL is incredibly boring to watch live and in person.

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Sorry Spider but Moon's a bad example. He never played in the NFL before coming to Canada because they wouldn't have let him play QB. Wrong skin colour back then.
Even without the European league I don't think the NFL needs a development league besides the Arena League. The NCAA provides more than enough players. The franchise fee for a team in Toronto would work out to about $32 million dollars per current NFL team owner if divided equally. Do you still think Dan Snyder cares about the CFL? Do you think Jerry Jones could even spell CFL if you spotted him the C and the L?

Answer 5

The NFL stated a long time ago that it will never come to Canada unless the CFL folds. If they do expand it will be to Mexico City. This rumor has been going on for years. The NFL love's the CFL because the players that don't make the teams down there come up here for a few years get more playing time then return to the NFL a better player. (eg. Moon. ).

Answer 6

I don't think they'll get a lot of signees from the NFL - only free agents with something to prove. In terms of fans, however, those leagues could have an increased following. I think college football will siphon off most of the NFL audience, but a lockout could only serve to benefit UFL and CFL viewership.

Answer 7

The odds of the NFL bringing a team to Canada is slim. Unless the CFL folds, then the NFL might consider it. I think the NFL in Canada would hurt the CFL from a financial standpoint.

Answer 8

I think, since Canada has at most the one market the NFL is interested in, and since it would be the Argos owning the NFL Argonauts (or JazzRayCatzz or whatever nonsense they name the team after extensive market research)...

It probably wouldn't affect the CFL much at all. At most, the Toronto CFL and NFL teams would have to work around each other's home dates, and the Jets and Giants do this already.

Answer 9

I hope not if the nfl comes to canada then the cfl will go the way of the dodo bird.the cfl players may not be as talented
but offer a much more exciting brand of football.

Answer 10

some guy that works with the lions think it would end the CFL and this has tried to happen before (Wayne Gretzky, Bruce Mcnall and John Candy bought the Argos cause they thought it would happen bought Ismail won a grey cup but nothing happened and sold it a few years later)

also American teams have been in the CFL before too