Canadian Football League to launch season earlier and expand playoffs starting in 2027

The Canadian Football League announced ​on Tuesday plans to kick ​off its regular season ‌earlier starting ​in 2027 along with a revamped playoff format that will see all but one of the ‌league's nine teams make the postseason. Starting next year, the CFL's regular season will open during the Victoria Day holiday long weekend in May as opposed ‌to a June start. When it comes to the postseason, there will ‌be three rounds before the Grey Cup championship game rather than two under the current format that features six playoff teams.

"More games. More drama. More entertainment. That was the ⁠mission ​and that's exactly ⁠what this format will deliver," CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnston said in a press release. The opening ⁠round of the playoffs will feature two division showdowns and two play-in games. ​Winners of the division showdown earn a bye to the third ⁠round with home-field advantage while the losers move on to a do-or-die second-round game. The ⁠play-in ​games will see the No. 5 seed host No. 8, and No. 6 host No. 7 with the winners advancing.

The league also said ⁠that from May to the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday in October, long holiday ⁠weekends will serve ⁠as defining moments in the regular season, creating new tentpole CFL traditions in addition to the league's Labour Day ‌Weekend ‌games.

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