CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston during Friday's media conference; photos byJosh Kjarsgaard,
It’s an annual ritual during every Grey Cup week — the Canadian Football League’s commissioner stands in front of a roomful of media to make his annual state of the union address and then prepares to be grilled with questions like’s a suspect in an espionage case.
And after having covered 32 Grey Cups over the years yours truly can essentially some up the whole thing is part propaganda, part performance art and, yes, also with some noteworthy news items and sound bites.
Stewart Johnston, the CFL’s new boss, delivered all of that and then some in his first state of the union Friday morning at the Pinnacle Club at Princess Auto Stadium. So, as we open this week’s 1st & 10 with some of the highlights from the commish’s presser…
FIRST, SOME NUMBERS FROM THE CFL:
-From CFL HQ, the league averaged 52.9 points per game this year, the highest since 2017 and a two percent increase over 2024. Further to that, 17.8 percent of all possessions ended with a touchdown, the highest on record.
-CFL quarterbacks completing 69.2 percent of their passes, the highest in league history.
-There was a one percent growth in viewership from 2024 — it was up two percent in 2024 and nine percent in 2023, but the league release also noted the conflict with the Toronto Blue Jays run to the World Series.
-There was an increase in attendance for a fourth straight year and game day revenues were up five percent from last year.
-The CFL’s social media audiences saw eight percent growth.
-In 2024 league invest $4.5 million into programs and initiatives throughout the country to grow the game and has now entered into a five-year partnership with football provincial sports organizations to ‘strengthen the connection between grassroots football and the professional game.’
Johnston singled out the Blue Bombers pre-existing relationship in this area which saw the launch this moth of a province-wide flag football initiative that provides over 900 schools in the province with the resources to introduce the sport as part of a “Flag in Schools” curriculum plan.
That landmark deal will also include support for the national flag football teams and their quest for a sport in the 2028 Olympics, with CFL players also eligible to play.
THE BIG TALKER — RULE CHANGES
Johnston made a significant announcement in late September with new rules to come into effect over the 2026-27 seasons.
Sound bites on that topic from Friday:
“There is one thing I want to clarify: when we announced those rule changes, I did not do enough to emphasize something very important — our unwavering commitment to the Canadian game. So, let me be clear: we are three downs, 12 players, unlimited motion, 65 yards wide and huge end zones. These rules are not going anywhere.
“The new rules embrace innovation and perpetual improvement while protecting what makes Canadian football special.”
Johnston also said the rules committee will review the effects of the changes, especially their potential impact on the last three minutes of games and the wish to protect the notion that in the CFL no lead is safe.
And when pressed by Paul Friesen of The Winnipeg Sun that the rule changes did not meet with support from Nathan Rourke, Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea and special teams coordinator Mike Miller — and that they were not party to the rule changes discussions — he said this:
“The two starting quarterbacks in this year’s Grey Cup (Saskatchewan’s Trevor Harris and Davis Alexander of Montreal) have both come out very supportive of the changes. I’ve spoken to player agents who told me their entire rosters are massively in support. I expected a lot of debate, and that’s fair, but the large majority of players, agents and coaches I’ve talked to have all been supportive.”
One more on The Big Talker — Johnston was asked about recent polls that indicate older CFL fans are opposed to the rule changes and, specifically, “What’s your message to those fans who say, don’t change our Canadian game?”
“I absolutely appreciate our fans. They are the lifeblood of our league. I looked at the research that’s been put out there and most of it says at all age groups that there is support for the changes. There’s some leading questions. ‘Do you believe in the Americanization or the move closer to NFL rules?’ Well, that’s not what we’re doing. We are three downs, 65 yards wide, 12 player league.
“When they actually analyze each of these changes we see there’s more support for them than not and certainly when you get down to younger demos, there’s a lot of support.”
ON POSSIBLE EXPANSION AND RUMOURS IT MAY INCLUDE U.S. MARKETS:
“It is not our objective. When it comes to expansion, I’ve often been asked that question. While it’s not a top priority of course, it’s incredibly important. We would love to have a 10th team in this league, but when I say 10th team, I mean a Canadian 10th team. That is our focus.”
And…
“I’ve been pleased over these last seven months that the inbound calls we take for potential interest by parties who have means and have focus and have connections has been great. We have some excellent conversations going on across a number of different markets.
“Our strategy, as it relates to expansion, whether it’s the East Coast, whether it’s Quebec City that’s been talked about a lot, or anywhere else in Canada, is to be pulled into a market.
“We want that interested group that’s going to have the financial wherewithal, the political connections, and the infrastructure plan to pull us into a community because they’ve done the work. We give them a lot of background in order to do so. Those conversations are happening across the country, I’m looking forward to seeing where they go.”
“There is no doubt Quebec City is an incredible football market. You see what they’ve done with Rouge et Or; they have a fan base there for the game of football, which is impressive. It’s a great population base. I’m excited about that as one of the potentials for expansion.”
OTHER NOTES
-The CFL is making a significant move to modernize its digital platforms including a new CFL app and a season-long fantasy football program as a ‘gateway to fandom.’
-The 2026 CFL schedule will be unveiled on December 9th.
-The officiating crew for the 112th Grey Cup was announced on Friday with the referee being Andre Proulx, who will be making his 11th championship appearance.
AND FINALLY…
ICYMI, it was a spectacular night for Blue Bombers kick returner/cornerback Trey Vaval on Thursday as he was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player and Most Outstanding Rookie.
Check out this work by Smart Rosales, one of our videographers, capturing Vaval’s night:
could sense the aura before he even stepped onto the red carpet 🥶#ForTheW pic.twitter.com/DlVXamPglf
— Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) November 14, 2025
