DANKOCHIK’S DRAFTINGS: CFL’s new playoff system does have positives

When I first read about the CFL’s new playoff format, I didn’t know what to think.

Starting in 2027, the top two teams in both conferences will play a page playoff game, with the winner advancing to a semi-final and the loser playing the winner of a 3 vs 4 qualification game, setting up the semi-finals. The system is similar to the Brier and Scotties curling tournaments.

There’s certainly been a strong reaction across fans of the league to the change, as should have been expected, but my reaction was a lot different than the rule changes announced late last year.

There are certainly negatives to the new plan. Eight of the nine teams in the league will make the post-season in the new system, which is way too many. But I think most years having six teams make the playoffs, as is the case in the CFL currently, is probably too many to begin with.

I certainly was biased against liking this system, as in general I’m against adding playoff teams. But in a small sample size sport like football, I am less likely to hold that opinion.

In the current system, a team just needs to win one game to get to the Grey Cup. I’m okay with that, but the league will run into accusations of “bush league” one way or another.

The NHL will probably eventually add an NBA-style play-in tournament, with 20 teams playing in the post season and the NFL and MLB also recently expanded their play-offs, so it’s not like they’re in bad company adding playoff teams. It’s not an ideal system, but the chances of actually running an ideal system in the CFL are basically zero.

The best system would be every team playing home and away against every other team during the regular season, with the top four teams making the semi-finals.

I’d do the same as the Professional Women’s Hockey League and have the top seed select their first-round opponent, or do the old-school two-game total points format for the semi-finals, but I highly doubt anyone in the league offices and very few fans would have that as their preferred system, and the league’s broadcast partners would probably just outright veto that plan, as it could destroy ratings.

Hopefully the new system will mean more standings battles across the closing games of regular season, as teams battle for a spot in one of those page playoff spots. We get more playoff football, which as someone who’s become more of a casual CFL fan over the years, I am looking forward to.

Re-seeding in the second round means a better chance of the best two teams facing off in the Grey Cup, and it means a lot more standings battles across the league in the closing weeks.

It also guarantees the two major ratings draws in the CFL, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, will never not be in the playoffs, which I’m sure is a bonus for TSN. It also “expansion-proofs” the league, so if the fabled 10th team comes, or even more new teams to get to 12, the league has a good system in place ready to go. It might help those new expansion teams to know they have a reasonable chance to host a playoff game and get those valuable playoff revenues even if they’re not a great team in the early years.

If the new system is a failure, it will be easy to change back. I think it’s time for a new look for the CFL playoffs, and this new system is an interesting attempt to freshen things up. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, but I just like the league is continuing to experiment, and not just with things I don’t think should be changed.