CFL to kick off season Aug. 5
The CFL’s board of governors voted unanimously on Monday to approve an Aug. 5 kickoff of the 2021 season.
The board, which was to release a full schedule Tuesday, approved a 14-game regular season, six-team playoff and a Dec. 12 Grey Cup game in Hamilton.
The CFL has not played a game since the Grey Cup game in the fall of 2019 because of the coronavirus pandemic that broke out in early 2020.
The league is encouraging players and team staff to get vaccinated, just as they are urging fans to do the same. The hope is that vaccination rates climb, gathering limits ease and a sense of normalcy descends in time for fans to feel safe and comfortable in stadiums operating at full capacity for home games all over the country in September, October and November.
“We are on track to receive all of the necessary health and safety approvals, thanks to our tireless medical advisers and staff, and the dedicated government officials who have been working with them,” said CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie. “And while the outlook for fans in the stands varies from province to province, we are confident that process is also on the right track.”
Players will enter a sevenday quarantine on June 25 and training camps will open July 10.
“We are pleased the CFL Board of Governors did the right thing by voting in favour of a good and fair agreement that makes it possible for games to be played, with strong player safety standards in place, as soon as August 5,” the CFL Players Association said in a statement. “CFLPA members are looking forward to getting back to the game as well as the communities they proudly represent. We will continue to closely monitor decisions made by the various levels of government to understand how we can meet pandemic safety protocols and get players back to work.”