Poll indicates fans want CFL to stick to its unique style

Saskatchewan Roughriders fans cheer during the first half of CFL football action in Regina on Friday, August 6, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kayle Neis

CFL fans appear to support the “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” camp when it comes to the league’s upcoming changes.

A recent poll from the Angus Reid Institute suggests that CFL fans, especially the fervent fans, would like the league to stick to its unique qualities.

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The CFL announced a series of changes on Sept. 22, 2025, that Commissioner Stewart Johnston described as “innovating where change is needed to evolve our world-class game.” The changes that will be implemented over the next two seasons are:

• The field will be shortened from 110 yards to 100 yards.
• The end zones will be shortened from 20 yards to 15 yards.
• The goalposts will be moved from the goal line to the back of the end zones.
• The single point awarded for a missed field goal that goes through the end of the end zone will be removed.
• A new, automatic 35-second play clock will start after each play, replacing the current manual system.

One question in the survey, which was conducted online from Oct. 7-11 among a random sample of 2,031 Canadian adults, asked respondents to indicate if the CFL should try and differentiate itself from the NFL or try and align itself closer with NFL rules.

Fans who follow the leagues very closely responded at 74 per cent in favour of maintaining the current rules while those who identify as following closely were 54 per cent in favour of the status quo.

Of the five upcoming changes, the strongest support among respondents was in adopting the 35-second automatic play clock with 46 per cent in favour. The stiffest opposition was regarding shortening the field from 110 yards to 100 with just 28 per cent in favour.

The complete poll can be viewed online.