Courtesy: Thomas Skrlj/CFL.
The Canadian Football League is making significant changes to its playoff format for 2027, it was announced on Tuesday.
The postseason will be expanded from six to eight teams and include an extra round of games.
“More games. More drama. More entertainment. That was the mission and that’s exactly what this format will deliver,” said CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston in a statement. “We’re raising the stakes so every game carries real consequences — more teams in the hunt, right to the end.”
The first round of the new playoff format will feature four matchups.
Two of the games, dubbed the ‘Division Showdowns,’ will pit the two top teams from the league’s two divisions against each other. The two winners will earn byes to the third round of the postseason, while the losers move on to the second round.
The other two games, dubbed the ‘Play-In Games,’ will see the No. 5 seed host the No. 8 seed and the No. 6 seed host the No. 7 seed. The two winners will advance to the second round, while the two losers are eliminated. This seeding will be done based on regular-season records, irrespective of divisions.
Round two of the new format, dubbed the ‘Elimination Games,’ will see the two Division Showdown losers host the two Play-In Game winners. Seeding will again be done based on regular-season records, not divisions. The two winners will advance to the third round of the postseason, while the two losers are eliminated.
The third round of the playoffs will be called the ‘Grey Cup Semi-Finals’ and have the two Division Showdown winners host the two Elimination Game winners. Seeding will again be done based on regular-season records, not divisions. The two winners will advance to the Grey Cup, while the two losers are eliminated.
This new format ensures that at least one West Division team and at least one East Division team reach the third round of the playoffs, though an upset in one or both games could see teams from the same division reach the Grey Cup, something that has never previously occurred in league history.
These changes were made in collaboration with the Canadian Football League Players’ Association (CFLPA) as it required a change to the existing collective bargaining agreement.
“This proposal sparked important and productive discussions, with a clear focus on ensuring our members benefit from any changes,” said CFLPA executive director David Mackie. “It represents a meaningful step forward that supports both player compensation and the continued growth and excitement of the league, while reinforcing a framework where players share in that growth.”
The league’s existing playoff structure has only five games, including the Grey Cup. Division winners are given byes directly to the East and West Finals, while the second and third-place teams meet in the East and West Semi-Finals.
The fourth-place team from one division may cross-over if they possess a better record than the third-place team in the other division. Since the cross-over rule was instituted in 1996, West Division teams have crossed over to the East Division 13 times. No East Division team has ever crossed over to the West Division.
The new playoff format will be accommodated by moving the season up, as was previously announced. The league provided official dates for several key events in 2027, including the CFL Draft (April 13), the start of rookie camps (April 21), the start of training camps (April 24), and the first week of the regular-season (Victoria Day Weekend).
The CFL’s new postseason format will see 88.9 percent of its teams reach the playoffs, an increase of over 22 percent from the old format. North America’s four major sports league all have significantly smaller playoff pools, including the MLB (40 percent), NFL (43.8 percent), NHL (50 percent), and NBA (66.6 percent with play-in games).
“All summer long, the CFL will be front and centre — exactly where it belongs,” said Johnston. “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.”
Coming in 2027, a CFL season built for Summer long weekends, as the CFL and CFLPA champion a new era of Playoff football.
DETAILS: https://t.co/gAe8cASYYe pic.twitter.com/tIJiOOZ2ao
— CFL (@CFL) April 28, 2026
