Toronto/Quebec City (with files from Sportsnet/TVA/CBC/3 Down Nation) – So much for the “Atlantic Schooners” in Halifax.
The CFL league’s board of governors voted to potentially add a team in Quebec City, according to TVA‘s Stéphane Turcot.
In a further report from 3 Down Nation, the vote took place on Sept. 9 and only primary voting members — owners or chief executives — were in attendance. The vote paves the way for a 10th CFL franchise if further conditions are met.
In a statement to Sportsnet, the CFL confirmed they’ve received expansion interest from numerous cities, but called Quebec City a “leading contender.”
“We’ve had very productive discussions with a serious and committed group, and the market offers many of the characteristics that make for a successful CFL franchise: passionate football fans, strong community and corporate support, population and economic growth, and the opportunity to strengthen the league’s presence in Quebec, with a natural provincial rival,” the CFL continued. “Expansion conversations remain positive, but there’s nothing further to report on currently.”
Reports out of Quebec City, including from Sylvain Bouchard of FM 93, identify real estate developer William Trudel as the financial backer for expansion, but a spokesman for the Trudel Group declined comment to Le Journal when asked.
Here’s where it gets tricky.
The Montreal Alouettes own the CFL territorial rights for the entire province of Quebec. Under the Canadian Football League constitution, the province of Quebec is officially designated as part of their exclusive territorial market. The Alouettes are personally owned by Quebec media mogul Pierre Karl Péladeau, who is also the CEO of Quebecor. Because Quebecor operates the Videotron Centre in Quebec City and has long sought to bring major sports franchises to the provincial capital, Péladeau strongly supports adding a second team in the province. While territorial boundaries protect local markets from unauthorized regional competition, all overarching broadcast agreements (such as deals with TSN and RDS) are managed entirely by the league office rather than local clubs.
The CFL last added a team in 2014, when the Ottawa Redblacks were brought into the league.
