According the Sportsnet’s Arash Madani, the CFL will officially announce that the 2021 season will not start on time on April 19.
April 19 is scheduled as the date the #CFL "officially" confirms the 2021 season won't start on time.
Wouldn't expect all elements with other parties to be fully completed by then. As I reported on @DTonSC April 1, the league + federal gov't continue talks on funding for 2021. https://t.co/aeIDjbpzj7
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) April 11, 2021
The veteran reporter also suggested that the date could bring some clarity to the ongoing discussions between the CFL and XFL. The leagues made headlines in March when they announced they were exploring opportunities to collaborate.
Fans on both sides of the border have been waiting further details regarding the potential partnership, though reports have been scarce.
The XFL could potentially help the CFL have a season in 2021, though some would rather see the three-down league invest in itself.
Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and RedBird Capital were selected as the winning bidders last August for all of the assets of Alpha Entertainment LLC, the parent company of the XFL. It cost $15 million and the goal is to make the XFL a stable league in the future.
The CFL was has been wracked by its own financial struggles from COVID-19, losing between $60 and $80 million last year. The XFL’s cheque book could solve that problem, but potentially at the cost of many of the league’s hallmarks.
The original XFL lasted one full season in 2001. The XFL lasted just part of one season before the COVID-19 pandemic put their season on hold, which led to Vince McMahon filing for bankruptcy.
The CFL unveiled its 2021 schedule last November with the pre-season scheduled to begin on Sunday, May 23, while the regular season is slated to get underway on Thursday, June 10, and the Grey Cup in Hamilton on Sunday, November 21.
The CFLPA has repeatedly requested clarity regarding the start of the 2021 season, which the CFL has failed to provide.
