Dan Ralph ‘if no CFL season, then the CFL, as we see it, does not exist’

Dan Ralph of The Canadain Press was a recent guest on The Markcast. He had some interesting things to say about the importance of a CFL season in 2021. If it doesn’t happen, it could change the CFL forever.

“I’ve been told that if there’s if there’s no season, then the CFL, as we see it, does not exist.”

Ralph is not saying the CFL will close its doors for good, just that it will be a different league in 2022. 

“That doesn’t mean it goes away completely. But I think the way the league you see now with nine entities maybe does not survive, and that maybe you come back and you’re not a national league anymore, or you’ve lost a franchise or two, I don’t know.”

We do know that some of the franchises are struggling. AJ Jakubec was a recent guest on the Rod Pedersen Show and said he was told by a former CFL official that some CFL franchises are only worth $1. I don’t think we should take it literally but what they are saying is some CFL franchises are in bad shape financially.

But losing a franchise or two, does that mean they go out of business or some join the XFL instead? It could go either way. We have heard that teams like the Toronto Argonauts are more interested in playing in the XFL than CFL. We have also heard that the XFL was only interested in a couple of CFL franchises.

These, of course, are just rumors as NDA’s have been signed, and no one really knows. But these quotes are from CFL insiders in Canada.

Could a second season without play result in a significant shake-up in the CFL, and that is the reason why the XFL 2022 season is on pause? 

If the CFL does not play in 2021, will they fully merge with the XFL, or the CFL stays but as a smaller league, and teams like the Argos and Montreal Alouettes jump ship to the XFL. 

“But I’ve been told that if there’s no football this year and you’re out of the public eye for two years, then that’s crippling up here.”

Could something like this happen? Most likely not, as it seems like all systems are go for a 2021 CFL season. Ralph still thinks there will be a season, just a shorter season than the one proposed.

“And I’ve been telling anybody, listen, that you can talk about 18, you can talk about 14. I’m thinking nine or 10.”

“But I do believe there will be football. I don’t believe it’s going to be 14. I think nine. Anywhere. Maybe, eight, depending on how this thing goes, but I think nine or 10 games.”

We know the XFL and CFL are only talking about the business model right now, but they also said everything is on the table. These next couple of months are critical for the CFL’s future. 

You can listen to the full interview here.