The Canadian Football League is set to overhaul its postseason format, advancing eight of its nine teams to the playoffs starting in 2027. B.C. Lions vice-president of football operations Neil McEvoy acknowledges that the move will draw skeptics but believes the change will ultimately benefit the league.
"We're adding more games. We're adding more playoff games in an age where playoff games are exciting and people like to watch on TV," McEvoy said. "It adds another weekend of intense football, which is what the commissioner wanted to do. I think this is a good step."
The league announced Tuesday that this season will be the last with six playoff teams, where the top teams in each division receive a first-round bye. Starting in 2027, the playoffs will feature nine games, including the Grey Cup, up from the current five.
New Playoff Structure
Under the new format, the first round will pit the first- and second-place teams from each division against each other. The winners earn a bye to the third round with home-field advantage, while the losers drop to the second round. The remaining four playoff teams will compete in play-in games: No. 5 hosts No. 8, and No. 6 hosts No. 7. Winners advance to the second round; losers are eliminated. Second-round winners then face the first-round winners in what amounts to a Grey Cup semifinal.
"You're going to have skeptics for whatever you do. These are extra games that add more entertainment value for the fans," McEvoy said. "I understand people are going to say, 'One team doesn't make the playoffs,' but we don't live in a world where we have 32 teams. We have nine and we're trying to make the best of it."
McEvoy compared the new format to the NBA's play-in tournament, which creates additional interest in more cities. "Other leagues have done it. I really like the way the NBA has the play-in, where they have those four teams fighting for the playoffs. It creates more interest in more cities, and that's exactly what you want."
Second Set of Major Changes
This is the second set of sweeping changes announced by the CFL in the past year. In September, the league unveiled game rule changes to be phased in through the 2026 and 2027 seasons, including shortening the field, moving goalposts to the back of the end zone, and amending the one-point rouge rule.
"People are going to complain. But in the end, we're trying to make the game more accessible to more people and trying to get people to like it more," McEvoy said.
Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke publicly criticized the rule changes, and fans on social media suggested the moves were "Americanizing" the game. However, McEvoy believes the phased implementation will give fans time to adjust.
"There is a group that isn't going to like this, like the rule changes last year," he said. "You hear and you're standoffish, but once you think about it and maybe see it for a year or two you start to like it. It's all about having more entertaining football games."
Upcoming Lions Season
The B.C. Lions' mini-camp begins May 6 at Hillside Stadium in Kamloops, with main camp starting May 10. The Lions have a preseason game on May 23 in Langford against the Edmonton Elks and open the regular season on June 13 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Home games include June 27 versus the Calgary Stampeders and July 4 against the Elks at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna, as B.C. Place is unavailable due to the FIFA World Cup. The Lions return to B.C. Place on July 25 to host the Toronto Argonauts.
