The CFL schedule for 2026 has been officially presented.which means it’s time to analyze how this year’s football calendar differs from previous ones. There are a lot of changes to discuss, so let's jump right into them.
Slow start
The league has only scheduled three games in weeks one and two, meaning the 2026 season will start slightly late.
The BC Lions, Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts have byes in the first week of the season, then bye the Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Elks, Ottawa Redblacks in the second week.
This may seem like an odd timing – and in some ways it is – but with the World Cup being held in North America, with games being played at BMO Field in Toronto and BC Place in Vancouver, an unusually busy CFL schedule isn't a bad idea.
Season opener, not a Gray Cup rematch
It's quite common for professional sports leagues to start the regular season with a rematch of last year's championship game, but that won't happen in the CFL in 2026.
Instead, the year will open with a rematch of the Eastern Final, with the Montreal Alouettes visiting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Both teams had solid, low-scoring postseason play last month, so hopefully they'll both be strong come Thursday, June 4th.
We won't get a Gray Cup rematch until Week 19 when Saskatchewan visits Montreal, and then again when Montreal visits Saskatchewan in Week 20.
Quad header
If you're a die-hard CFL fan, make sure the butt hole in your favorite couch or chair is ready for Saturday, September 12th, when the league plays. for 12 hours straight.
The day will begin with the Ottawa Redblacks and Toronto Argonauts at 1:00 pm ET, then gradually head west with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Banjo Bowl at 4:00 pm ET, the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Elks at 7:00 pm ET, and the Montreal Alouettes and BC Lions at 10:00 pm. THIS.
It was the first quadruple header since 1995, according to the league. A triple header is also scheduled for week three.
Road Warriors
Argonauts are essentially playing three additional away games in 2026 The World Cup will be hosted by BMO Field in the first half of the summer. President and CEO of MLSE Keith Pelly supported the decision 3DownNation in September, calling it the best decision after considering “all possible options.”
As such, Toronto won't play at home until Week 10 when they host the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday, August 6th. If you're a die-hard Argonauts fan (and there are many), you have eight months to wait to see your team at home.
It's unclear which of the team's games is a “home” game and which is a regular road game, but the Argonauts are scheduled to visit Regina in Weeks 4 and 13, Winnipeg in Weeks 6 and 17 and Hamilton in Weeks 7 and 14.
Gobble up, gobble up
The Redblacks have visited the Alouettes in what has been widely dubbed the “Thanksgiving Classic” every year since 2021, but that will change in 2026.
Instead, Montreal will host Saskatchewan in a Thanksgiving Day game on Monday, Oct. 12, in a Gray Cup rematch. The teams will play the second half of a home game next week in Regina.
Ottawa will make two trips to Montreal during the regular season, scheduled for Weeks 4 and 12, while Montreal will visit Ottawa in Week 9. It seems odd to not be concentrating games between geographical rivals later in the year, but here we are.
Short weeks
The 2026 CFL schedule appears to have slightly more “short weeks” (games played with just four days of rest) than the 2025 schedule.
By our count, British Columbia, Calgary and Edmonton each have three short weeks, Montreal two, and Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, Toronto and Ottawa one each. Hamilton is the only team with zero results.
In 2025, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Ottawa and Montreal had the shortest weeks at two weeks each, while British Columbia, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto each had one. Saskatchewan was the only team with zero results.
Regardless, in 2025, teams that had short weeks went 2-4 when playing against better-rested opponents.
Overlap
It's not uncommon for the CFL to overlap preseason games, which will happen again this year between multiple contests on Saturday, May 23 and Friday, May 29.
However, what is unusual is that two regular season games overlap. The Ottawa Redblacks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats will meet on Saturday, October 24 at 3:00 pm ET, while the Edmonton Elks and Saskatchewan Roughriders will meet in the starting lineup. exactly at the same time.
I confirmed to the league that this was not a mistake or oversight. The games will take place simultaneously. Sure, these are the last two games before the playoffs, but it's very unusual to see CFL regular season games not spread out for maximum attention.
Spooky Season
The East and West semifinals take place on Saturday, October 31st, so have your suits ready, and if you live on the prairies, make sure they can be worn over your parka.
Halloween is always a great time to watch or attend major sporting events, given all the creative costumes you see in the crowd. The celebrations will be even more intense in 2026 with more intense playoff football.
A Balanced Farewell
Each CFL team has three bye weeks, and it is generally desirable for them to be spread evenly throughout the 21-week season.
In this case, the Alouettes likely have the best bye weeks as they are scheduled for Weeks 5, 11 and 17. The team never has to play more than five matches in a row without a break, which seems pretty darn good.
The longest any team can go without a bye is 10 weeks, as the Elks will play consecutively from Weeks 3 through 12.
Below is a list of each team's bye weeks:
BC Lions – 1, 6, 16
Calgary Stampeders – 2, 12, 21
Edmonton Elks – 2, 13, 18
Saskatchewan Roughriders – 1, 7, 16
Winnipeg Blue Bombers – 3, 10, 16
Hamilton Tiger-Cats – 4, 15, 20
Toronto Argonauts – 1, 9, 19
Ottawa Redblacks – 2, 8, 14
Montreal Alouettes – 5, 11, 17
