Sports in Canadian culture

[Boreal]

In some respects, the CFL is remarkable as it is largely an Alberta-Saskatchewan-Manitoba phenomenon. The fact that the league is as strong as it is, with Toronto being largely nonexistent, and Vancouver and Montreal not being diehard CFL football communities is very interesting.

With a few more clubs - Halifax, Quebec City, Kelowna/Victoria - the league could have a critical mass that really reaches coast-to-coast. The growth potential is very big in my estimation. Of course, this is all a ways off, and the big focus right now needs to be on new stadium development in the current markets, and ensuring that all 9 member clubs are very sound financially.

With the NCAA continuing to churn out talent at an absurd pace, and the NFL being the only other real professional league of any merit (the Arena League is... interesting), the CFL stands to have access to a wealth of talented players (far more then 9, 10 or 12 teams could employ), then the real focus for making things viable needs to be on the growth of CIS programs, and at that, the development of home grown players who can not only have a roster spot, but thrive in pro ball).