CFL takes cautious approach towards Quebec City due to failed expansion attempts

Photo courtesy: Thomas Skrlj/CFL.

Commissioner Stewart Johnston won’t name William Trudel as the main potential owner working to bring a CFL franchise to Quebec City, but did admit he has had meetings with the prospective ownership group.

“I’ve had tours of where the future might lie with a football team in Quebec City. It is so exciting. That is such an incredible market. When we think of the regional rivalry that a team there could develop with the Alouettes, that would be spectacular,” Johnston said at his State of the League address on Friday.

“We have not commented publicly on how those talks have been progressing, other than to say this: we have been engaged with very productive conversations with a local ownership group in Quebec City. We are encouraged by those. We can say that Quebec City has emerged as the leading contender for the 10th franchise in the CFL. There is still a lot of work to do, and when there’s something more to report, we’ll hand it over to you.”

Quebec City mayor Bruno Marchand has stated the provincial and federal governments must contribute financially to a stadium project. Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon recently pledged his support for a multi-use facility that could host CFL games. 3DownNation asked Johnston if he has had conversations with Prime Minister Mark Carney about federal funding.

“I’m not going to comment on any direct conversations that I’ve been involved with. I can tell you that there has been strong interest from various levels of government, and I think we’re still a ways away from having any kind of announcement on that,” Johnston said.

There has been speculation about whether Stade Telus at Université Laval could temporarily host CFL games while a new stadium comes to fruition. 21,366 fans attended the Rouge et Or’s 42-34 win over the Montreal Carabins on Saturday, September 26. That was 33 short of the stadium record, which was set in 2025 when 21,399 were in attendance for the same regular-season match-up between the two Quebec conference rivals.

“There’s some university stadiums that could be available for an expansion franchise to play in. I don’t think any one of them, including at Laval, could be a permanent option, maybe an introductory option. Whether it’s Laval or anywhere else across the country, while a better facility or more appropriate facility is built, perhaps,” Johnston said.

“We love how the passion for football is so clear with the Rouge et Or and the population in Quebec City. We know that Quebec City can handle big events; Festival d’été [de Québec] and many others are a testament to that. It’s an outstanding market. It’s an outstanding football market.”

The 55-year-old Johnston was clear: the league’s vision for a 10th team in Quebec City or anywhere else is to have a successful, sustainable franchise. He stated the CFL’s interest is “serious,” but so is the league office’s “discipline.” There are no target dates for a CFL team to start playing in the Quebec capital.

“I think we need to do our due diligence. This is a step-by-step process, and perhaps we’ve discussed things that needed to be addressed beforehand. I want to make sure the sequence of events is correct, and if we can make an announcement, I want to ensure that we do it at the proper time,” Johnston said.

“Quebec City is the leading contender for the 10th franchise; that is all that the league has announced, and no potential future owner has publicly said that they’re involved in the process. I understand there is significant speculation. We want to make sure that all our ducks are in a row. There’s still a lot of work to be done in anticipation of what a franchise could look like; there are no guarantees.”

Johnston noted Quebec City as a market is attractive due to population growth, economic industry in the region, and football culture. He added that the mayor is all-in with his support.