By Dashawn Stephens
The news of the CFL and XFL exploring partnership opportunities has rocked the Canadian football world in numerous ways. Although the news has died down in recent weeks, fans of Canadian football have been introduced to new stories that provide insights into the magnitude of the conversations between both leagues. These insights also provide fans with possibilities of what to expect in the case of an actual CFL/XFL merger.
Although it hasn’t been publicly acknowledged by the CFL and XFL, it’s clear that both leagues play two completely different styles of football. In order for a possible merger of any sorts to work, there has to be a compromise. For at least one of the two leagues, old rules must be dropped, and new rules must be adopted.
The looming threat that a CFL/XFL merger poses to Canadian-style football has caused members of the Canadian football community to push the preservation of the Canadian gridiron to the forefront of discussion. Whether it be fighting for CFL fields to remain the same size, or ensuring that offences will always have 3-downs to work with.
However, what if I told you that beyond 3-downs, ball sizes, and field dimensions, there are two things that need to be saved to ensure the survival of Canadian football at its core.
We’re looking at two ways the CFL can truly save Canadian football while adopting potential rule changes.
1. Protect the Professional Pipeline for U SPORTS Athletes
U SPORTS football consists of only 27 programs. When comparing that number to the 130 Division 1, and 166 Division 2 football programs that exist in the NCAA, it’s not hard to see where U SPORTS athletes can potentially be overlooked when it comes to professional football opportunities.
Currently, the CFL draft is the only stable professional pipeline that prioritizes the selection of U SPORTS football players.
The CFL’s current partnership with the LFA also provides professional opportunities for U SPORTS alumni, but it isn’t guaranteed to see through to the other side of a potential merger.
With the U SPORT-NFL barrier still yet to be truly broken, the CFL is the only league that brings genuine professional value to U SPORTS football.
The absence of a professional pipeline for U SPORTS athletes is a lot more damaging to Canadian football than fans may currently realize. As health studies continue to reveal the long-term risks of playing football, it’s no surprise that young athletes are stepping away from the sport now more than ever before. When combining those studies with the reality that not all Canadian schools can offer full scholarships to athletes, the discontinuation of a U SPORTS-themed draft could serve as a nail in the coffin for U SPORTS football. Without a professional pipeline, the opportunity to play university football in Canada would seem extremely unattractive to many athletes.
If the draft is negatively impacted or even taken away completely, so too is the value of Canadian university football. The decreased value of Canadian university football can ultimately lead to the value of the game being tarnished at the high school and eventually grassroots levels as well. Randy Ambrosie and the CFL must protect the U SPORTS professional pipeline at all costs.
2. Maintain or Expand the Canadian Ratio
As mentioned in our latest Question Period article, the “C” in CFL remains true to its core mainly due in part to how the league seeks to provide opportunities for Canadian players.
To recap, the Game Ratio Rule, better known as the Canadian ratio, requires gameday rosters to have a minimum of 21 Canadian players. Of those 21 players, at least 7 must be starters.
Let’s be honest, the ratio rule protects Canadian jobs. Without the ratio rule, many Canadian players would most likely face the reality of being overlooked in favour of American players. One of the best ways to preserve Canadian football is to ensure that there are still protected opportunities for Canadian players on gameday rosters.
Had a #CFL scout tell me why Laval DE Mathieu Betts wouldn't stick in the #NFL a couple years ago..
— 🇨🇦 Marshall Ferguson 🏈 (@TSN_Marsh) March 16, 2021
"They can find a random D3 American pass rusher who fits the locker room better and can do all the same things."
If you eliminate Canadian value, you simply eliminate Canadians. https://t.co/EgGCHCAJqw
It’s often overlooked, but the ratio rule also adds tremendous value to the current incarnation of the CFL Draft. With very few Canadians in the NCAA to choose from, CFL scouts will fight tooth and nail to find U SPORTS athletes that can bring genuine value to their organization. The ratio rule solidifies the CFL draft as more than just a gimmicked event. It forces the draft to be viewed as a genuine tool that organizations must use to build their teams.
If we want to take things one step further, the argument can be made that the ratio rule also adds value to U SPORTS football in general. As a sport that is perceived to be dying in more ways than it is growing, many athletes would not choose to risk their health and safety to play Canadian university football if they couldn’t envision themselves one day suiting up for their favourite CFL team. Even with the existing professional pipeline of the U SPORTS draft, the ratio rule adds needed legitimacy to the professional potential that is associated with a U SPORTS career.
It often said that if you can see it, you can be it. The ratio rule provides reassurance to the dreams of young Canadian football players, as it allows them to see themselves one day filling the shoes of the Canadian professionals of today. In addition to eliminating guaranteed jobs for Canadian athletes, the removal of the ratio rule also toys with the relevancy of football among future generations of Canadian athletes.
If there are significantly fewer professional Canadian football players, is there really such a thing as Canadian football?
Without Canadian representation in the Canadian Football League, the future of football in Canada is on life-support.
What’s Worth Fighting For?
Football in Canada differs drastically when compared to its northern sports counterparts. If there’s anything that the last few weeks have taught us, it’s that the brand of Canadian football is expressed through rules, field dimensions, and ball sizes more than it is through the Canadian players themselves. As fans of the Canadian game continue to debate about what’s worth fighting for, there is one question that should be posed.
If the CFL maintained all of its rules and regulations but had significantly fewer Canadian-born players and significantly more American-born players, could that product still proudly be labeled as “Canadian football”?