The CFL canceled its 2020 season on Monday, citing what Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said would have been “significant financial losses” had the league played during the coronavirus pandemic.
The league pledged to return in 2021. At the heart of the problem was a series of Canadian government regulations that effectively eliminated the CFL’s main source of revenue – ticket sales – and would have also made it a challenge for players based in the United States. travel to Canada.
The league has made preliminary plans for a shortened Winnipeg-based season in a bubble environment. But the Canadian government turned down CFL’s request for a $ 30 million loan to help finance it.
“Even with the extra support,” Ambrosie said in a statement, “our owners and community teams would have had to suffer significant financial losses to play in 2020. Without it, the losses would be so great that they really hurt our ability. . to bounce back strongly next year and beyond. Most important is the future of our league. “
The CFL joins the XFL and two major US college conferences – the Big 10 and the Pac-12 – in canceling their 2020 seasons due to the pandemic. The XFL was sold earlier this month in bankruptcy proceedings and could return as early as 2021.
The NFL, whose income is largely based on television contracts, has started its third week of training camp and is on track for an on-time start to its 2020 season next month.
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