CFL board of governors ‘likely to approve’ 16-week, 63-game schedule that starts August 5: report

The Canadian Football League board of governors will meet on Monday at 12 p.m. ET to decide the fate of the 2021 season.

Postmedia’s Dan Barnes reports positive developments could be on the way:

When league governors meet on a Monday conference call, they will discuss and are likely to approve a 16-week, 63-game schedule that starts Aug. 5 and offers 14 regular-season games and two bye weeks for each of the nine teams.

3DownNation insider Justin Dunk first reported the league telling the CFL Players’ Association direction on a 2021 season will be given no later than June 14. CFLPA president Solomon Elimimian sent a memo to update the membership on the latest happenings.

In late April, the CFL delayed its start date with a 14-game schedule targeted to kick-off on August 5, culminating in a currently planned December 12 Grey Cup. For the timeline to be met, the league stated it requires ‘a significant number of fans’ to be allowed in stadiums by municipal, provincial, and federal governments.

The league and players’ union began meetings during the second week of February with a focus on playing football this year. The two sides have submitted return to play health and safety plans to various levels of government in Canada and are working to finalize the details in hopes of getting the final stamp from the nation’s capital.

After the Canadian government refused to provide a $30 million interest-free loan a year ago, the board of governors voted to cancel the 2020 season. The CFL reportedly lost between $60 and $80 million in 2020 and are set to lose millions more if any kind of season is played in 2021.

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