The Canadian Football League (CFL) has unveiled its 2026 season schedule, promising an action-packed year of football. The season kicks off on Thursday, June 4, with a highly anticipated rematch of the 2025 Eastern Final, as the Montreal Alouettes, the defending divisional champions, take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The excitement builds as the league prepares for its 113th Grey Cup championship game, set to take place on Sunday, November 15, at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
The 2026 schedule offers a diverse range of games, with 23 regular-season matches kicking off at 4:00 p.m. local time or earlier. This allows families and children to enjoy the afternoon at the stadium, cheering on their favorite teams. CTV Saturdays will once again bring Canada's most-watched conventional television network, broadcasting select matinee games to share the excitement with viewers across the country.
Bell Media will broadcast the 2026 season across TSN, CTV, and RDS in Canada. In the U.S., select games will be exclusively aired on CBS Sports Network, while the remaining contests will be available live and on-demand for 48 hours via the league's free online streaming platform, CFL+.
One of the standout features of the schedule is the three pre-season games played outside traditional CFL markets. This initiative allows teams to strengthen their connections with fans across their home provinces. For instance, the Saskatchewan Roughriders will host a pre-season game in Saskatoon for the first time since 1991, facing off against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday, May 23, at 7 p.m. ET at Griffiths Stadium.
The Toronto Argonauts will also play three home games in opponents' stadiums during the first half of the season, as Canada welcomes global audiences for the FIFA World Cup. The Argonauts will have byes in Weeks 1 and 9, with their second half of the season featuring more home dates, allowing fans to cheer on their hometown heroes.
The 2026 season schedule is packed with special occasions and holiday highlights. Touchdown Kelowna, spanning Weeks 4-5, will see the BC Lions welcome Calgary and Edmonton to the expanded Save-On-Foods Field at the Apple Bowl. Calgary will host Toronto in the second annual Stampede Bowl on July 2, marking the unofficial opening of the Calgary Stampede.
OK Tire Labour Day Weekend in Week 14 will feature a duel between two of the league's talented pivots and the latest installments of storied rivalries. The centrepiece of Thanksgiving on Monday, October 12, will be a Grey Cup rematch with the Alouettes hosting the defending champion Roughriders at 1 p.m. ET. This game opens a critical home-and-home series as the season winds down.
Week 15 will feature a full four-game slate, marking the league's first quadruple-header since 1995. The 2026 regular season will conclude on Saturday, October 24, paving the way for the start of the Grey Cup Playoffs on Halloween.
The Grey Cup Playoffs will commence on Saturday, October 31, with Division Semi-Finals at 3:00 and 6:30 p.m. ET. The Division Finals will follow on Saturday, November 7, at the same times. The 113th Grey Cup will be played on Sunday, November 15, at 6:00 p.m. ET at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
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