CFL
Jordan Ramsay
April 29, 2026

CFL adjusting schedule and playoff format beginning in 2027

The changes keep coming for the Canadian Football League.

The CFL announced on Tuesday that it has finalized permanent updates to the season schedule and come to an agreement with the CFL Players’ Association on a new playoff format beginning in 2027.

Here’s what you need to know.

Don’t forget to check out Sports Interaction’s complete list of CFL futures.

CFL schedule

In 2027, the CFL will begin the regular season schedule on Victoria Day weekend, it’s earliest start ever. For comparison, this year’s season opens June 4 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hosting the Montreal Alouettes.

The goal of the new start date is for the league to align itself to with a significant Canadian holiday.

“All summer long, the CFL will be front and centre, exactly where it belongs,” commissioner Stewart Johnston said in a statement. “We’re establishing CFL long weekends, from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving, to create can’t-miss events for fans in the stadium and those watching at home.”

The new start to the season also means the postseason will finish earlier in the fall by about a week.

“We’re establishing CFL long weekends, from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving, to create can’t-miss events for fans in the stadium and those watching at home,” said Johnston.

New playoff format

The biggest change comes to the playoff format, which will now see eight of the CFL’s nine teams make the postseason. The playoffs will also consist of three rounds before the Grey Cup rather than two (division semifinal, final).

“More games, more drama, more entertainment,” Johnston said. “That was the mission and that’s exactly what this format will deliver. We’re raising the stakes so every game carries real consequences, more teams in the hunt, right to the end.”

Starting in 2027, the top two teams in each division (four total) will face each other in a division showdown, with the winners earning a bye to the Grey Cup semifinal and home-field advantage. The losers advance to the second playoff round, which will be elimination games.

Teams outside of the top two in each division are seeded No. 5 to No. 9. The No. 9 seed will not qualify for the playoffs.

The No. 5 and No. 6 seeds will host the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in play-in games. The winners advance to the second round and the losers are eliminated.

The second round consists of the division showdown losers hosting the play-in winners. The winners of this round reach the Grey Cup semifinals and the losers are eliminated.

The third round is the Grey Cup semifinals, with the division showdown winners hosting the second round winners. The matchups are based on regular season records. The winners advance to the Grey Cup, which will be held Nov. 7, 2027 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.