Courtesy: CFL
A new poll from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians oppose any move by the CFL to make itself more like the NFL.
The survey found among respondents who followed the CFL, 47 percent of people agreed the league should try to differentiate itself from the NFL as much as possible. While that was especially true among people who followed the CFL very closely — with a whopping 74 percent responding positively — it was also the most common response amongst people who followed the league not very closely (38 percent). 28 percent were in favour of greater alignment with the NFL rule book, including 30 percent of those who did not follow the league very closely.
In September, the CFL unveiled several rule changes that are planned to be implemented over the next two years, drawing accusations of Americanization from traditionalist fans and the league’s likely Most Outstanding Player, Nathan Rourke.
In 2026, team benches will permanently be moved to opposite sides of the field, an automatic 35-second clock will run between plays. Punts, kickoffs, and missed field goals that sail through the back of the end zone without being touched by a returner will no longer result in a rouge point.
In 2027, the field will be shortened to 100 yards, end zones will be shortened to 15 yards, and the uprights will be moved to the back of the end zones.
Opinions on those changes appear to be mixed, with the elimination of the 55-yard line being the most controversial. 39 percent of respondents opposed the shortening of the field compared to 28 percent who were in support. Not a single category of fan had a net positive association with moving to a 100-yard field, including those who did not follow the CFL closely.
The shortening of the end zones also had more detractors than advocates, though that came via a much narrower margin of 33 percent against and 30 percent in favour. The other changes appear to be more popular, with much more support than opposition. 35 percent of viewers liked moving the goal posts, 38 percent were in favour of the amended rouge, and a whopping 46 percent liked the new play clock.
The moves are an attempt to reinvigorate interest in the CFL and fight a sense of stagnation that is supported by the poll, as 71 percent of those asked felt the league was basically the same as it was five years ago. 17 percent felt it was more exciting, while 11 percent felt it was less so.
National interest in the CFL does appear to be stable, however. According to the poll, 41 percent of Canadians follow the league in some capacity, compared to 43 percent who watch the NFL. Among those who follow either league very closely or closely, the difference is even less — 16 percent for the CFL and 17 percent for the NFL. That number is consistent within a percentage point with the last two surveys conducted by Angus Reid in 2021 and 2023, while interest in the NFL has dipped slightly from 20 percent two years ago.
People under the age of 55 still prefer the NFL compared to the older generation, though there are positive trends there. 18 percent of men aged 18 to 34 follow the CFL closely, which is higher than the 14 percent in the 35 to 54 age bracket. Women aged 18 to 34 are actually slightly more likely to support the CFL than the NFL, with 10 percent following three-down football compared to nine percent for its American counterpart.
Commissioner Stewart Johnston would like to see those numbers grow and wouldn’t rule out making more changes in the future towards that goal, saying he can’t guarantee the league will never switch to four downs. However, the numbers suggest that any further shift towards the NFL would be a mistake.