CFL Week 1 Recap: Back in the Saddle

The Canadian Football League has returned!

North American football has become quite interesting ever since the instillation of the XFL and USFL, now merged into the UFL, became part of the sports calendar. Pro football is now year-round, with the UFL coming in shortly after the Super Bowl's over. Once the UFL is set to crown their champion, that's when our Canadian brothers-in-arms come in with their larger field, their 12-man defenses, their rouges, and their three-down football. This is my 13th year watching the CFL, my 12th in play--remember, no 2020 season. Hard to believe that it was that long ago that I said to myself, "You know, I need to give this CFL thing a chance."

Since 2014, it's been nine teams across Canada battling for one goal: the Grey Cup. I'm still waiting for news and updates on a tenth team. I've heard stories about a possible franchise in Halifax, and I've been waiting ever since. I've heard Halifax, I've heard Quebec City. Would be very interesting if we get more teams in Canada, but for now, I'll enjoy this nine team league and the good things that come with it.

Speaking of expansion, the CFL's newest franchise, the Ottawa Redblacks (who debuted in 2014), began the 2025 season against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina. The new season also brought a new look from TSN's graphics, as the look slightly resembled graphics I've seen on NBC and Fox. Ottawa scored the season's very first touchdown, but the Riders took over the rest of the way. A 17-point 2nd quarter set the stage for a huge beatdown from Saskatchewan, who shut down an attempted Ottawa comeback for a 31-26 win.

The first Friday night game of the season saw the reigning, defending, 19-time Grey Cup Champions, the Toronto Argonauts, in Montréal against the rival Alouettes. I had been excited for months for this season, this was going to be the start of our 20th championship season. However, it got off to a very rocky start. This was a messy performance by the defending champs. I think we were still celebrating entering the season. A 28-10 Alouettes win that saw the Argos' first touchdown finally scored in garbage time in the fourth quarter. Argos/Alouettes has become the top rivalry in that East Division, and unfortunately, the Als are one up right now.

The first Saturday doubleheader of the season started with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Calgary against the Stampeders; still can't believe this was the Grey Cup on two occasions. Poor Hamilton hasn't won the Grey Cup in this century, and their quest to end that stretch did not start well. The TiCats were dominated from the get-go, resulting in a 38-26 win for the Stamps, though Hamilton made the score closer than it really was. As for the other half, it was the Edmonton Elks in Vancouver against the BC Lions, and it was close at first, but BC did run away and never looked back. A 31-14 victory for the Lions over the Elks.

And there's the standings after opening week. In the West, the Elks were the only team who lost, while in the East, the Alouettes were the only team who won. The team who was off in Week 1: the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Bombers are coming off their third straight loss in the Grey Cup, and the schedule allows them an extra week to lick their wounds and prepare to begin their road to their sixth straight appearance in the big game, which will be in Winnipeg this season.

Also, this is the third year of the CFL's current deal with the CBS Sports Network, with 34 games set to air on the channel here in the States. However, according to the broadcast schedule, as of this point, it's not determined if CBSSN will air any playoff games, or even the 112th Grey Cup. They didn't in Year One of this deal in 2023; all playoff games and the Grey Cup that year were seen on CFL+ on the league's website, for viewers outside of Canada.

One week down, 20 to go, and Week 2 begins in Winnipeg on Thursday, June 12, as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will host the BC Lions. On Friday, June 13, it's an East Division battle between the Montréal Alouettes and the Ottawa Redblacks, and Saturday, June 14 will see a doubleheader kicked off by the Toronto Argonauts' raising the banner and hosting the Calgary Stampeders, followed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hosting the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

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