Have CFL teams lost season ticket holders due to rule changes?

Photo: Matt Johnson/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Canadian Football League is in a transition period after announcing several rule changes that will be implemented over the next two years.

Among those that will take effect for 2026 are a modification to the rouge, a new 35-second play clock, and a requirement for team benches to be located on opposite sides of the field. The league also recently ratified a rules committee recommendation to eliminate ties from the regular-season.

The changes coming in 2027 are more drastic. The field will be shortened to 100 yards, the end zones will be shortened to 15 yards, the uprights will be moved to the back of the end zones, and the playoffs will be expanded to eight teams.

The reaction to these changes has been mixed. Nathan Rourke, the league’s reigning Most Outstanding Player, called them “garbage,” while legends like Doug Flutie and Henry Burris have questioned their merit.

CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston, who was hired last spring, has been slow to acknowledge the criticism, repeatedly touting that they were unanimously and enthusiastically approved by the board of governors.

The feedback from fans has been passionate — and, in many cases, negative.

Almost 8,000 people signed a petition calling for a delay and further consultation to the changes, though it appears to have been ignored by the league’s stakeholders.

At 3DownNation, we have received many emails and social media replies from fans expressing anger over the changes. In some cases, these notes have included threats to cancel season tickets or declarations of having already done so. Anyone who has spent time in CFL circles on social media has likely seen similar posts.

This raises the question: have CFL teams actually lost season ticket holders due to rule changes?

Do these emails and social media posts represent a small faction of tens of thousands of people turning away from the league? Or do they merely represent a few dozen diehards whose departure will go unnoticed?

Last fall, 3DownNation asked each of the CFL’s nine teams if they’d lost season ticket holders due to the announcement of rule changes. With the 2026 regular-season now on the horizon, we’ve asked each club for an updated statement.

In the interest of full transparency, this was the inquiry posed to all nine teams: “Did the team experience season ticket cancellations this offseason specifically related to the rule changes? If so, how many?”

Below are the responses we received.

B.C. Lions

“Out of those who did not renew, eight percent of season ticket holders or 84 total tickets cited rule changes as the reason. By comparison, we calculated 45 percent of season ticket holders or 400 total tickets cited the schedule as the reason. 2026 is a special season for the B.C. Lions with our Touchdown Kelowna games and backloaded home schedule that starts in Week 8. Overall, we’ve enjoyed an above average renewal rate for the 2026 season.”

Calgary Stampeders

“Season-ticket cancellations this offseason specifically related to the rule changes have been minimal. We have shown growth in our season ticket base for the first time since 2019 and for only the second time since 2015.”

Edmonton Elks

“Season ticket member information is not something we’d normally provide.”

For what it’s worth, team president Chris Morris told 3DownNation in March that the team had retained 95 percent of its season ticket holders from 2025 and were “way ahead on (new) season tickets” for 2026.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

“We’ve had a small number of season ticket members — in the single digits — who have chosen not to renew because of their opposition to the CFL rule changes. However, we have not seen the rule changes affect overall renewals or season ticket member growth in any substantial way. Throughout the offseason, we have seen strong renewal numbers from current season ticket members, along with exceptional growth in new season ticket memberships year over year.”

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

“We won’t be providing a comment on this inquiry.”

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

No reply.

Toronto Argonauts

“We don’t typically share this type of information.”

Ottawa Redblacks

“We don’t publicly disclose this sort of information. We appreciate you reaching out and giving us the opportunity to respond.”

Montreal Alouettes

“We always maintain an open dialogue with our members and are committed to listening to their feedback and concerns. That said, for the 2026 season, we are not aware of any season ticket cancellations that were specifically attributed to the announced rule changes. Overall, we continue to see strong engagement and enthusiasm from our fan base heading into the 2026 season.”

Though half the league’s teams were unwilling to answer the question, the responses 3DownNation received are illuminating.

On the west coast, the rule changes appear to have cost the Lions almost 100 season ticket holders, though far more fans cancelled due to the stadium displacement caused by the World Cup. The same can’t be said in La Belle Province, where apparently zero people axed their season tickets because of the changes.

On the prairies — often considered the place where tradition matters most — Saskatchewan has claimed the changes cost them fewer than 10 season tickets. Granted, Rider Pride is nearing an all-time high coming off a Grey Cup victory, but this ardent support still seems noteworthy. Winnipeg didn’t provide a statement, though the team sold out its entire 2025 season and is hoping to do the same in 2026.

The Stampeders have seen an increase in season ticket sales after few rules-related cancellations, which is likely due in part to the Grey Cup coming to town in November. With that said, the club also experienced a bounce-back season on the field last year as well as a 3.5 percent boost in attendance at McMahon Stadium.

We don’t know the state of rules-related cancellations in Hamilton, Toronto, or Ottawa. For what it’s worth, the Tiger-Cats experienced a 3.9 percent increase in year-over-year attendance in 2025, while the Argonauts stayed flat and the Redblacks declined 4.2 percent. Overall, the league’s official attendance grew by less than one percent in 2025.

With the CFL’s most sweeping changes set to take effect in 2027, 3DownNation will provide another update to this story next spring.

In the meantime, enjoy 2026.