List of Canadian Football League seasons explained

This is a list of Canadian Football League (CFL) seasons, including seasons in Canadian football prior to the CFL's founding in 1958.

Pre-CFL seasons

Years in Canadian Football
1880s18821883188418851886188718881889
1890s1890189118921893189418951896189718981899
1900s1900190119021903190419051906190719081909
1910s1910191119121913191419151919
1920s1920192119221923192419251926192719281929
1930s1930193119321933193419351936193719381939
1940s1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
1950s19501951195219531954195519561957

CFL seasons

Early CFL (1958–1986)

After the merger of the Big Four and WIFU, the first 29 CFL seasons each consisted of nine teams playing in the same nine cities.[1] In 1961, inter-conference play began during the regular season. Until 1973, Western Canadian teams played 16 games, compared to 14 for Eastern Canada. Since then, all teams played 16 games per season until the season was expanded to 18 games in 1986.

SeasonWestEastGrey Cup
GPTop recordGPTop recordNo.Champion
195816Winnipeg Blue Bombers (13–3)14Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10–3–1)46thWinnipeg Blue Bombers
195916Winnipeg Blue Bombers (12–4)14Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10–4)47thWinnipeg Blue Bombers
196016Winnipeg Blue Bombers (14–2)14Toronto Argonauts (10–4)48thOttawa Rough Riders
196116Winnipeg Blue Bombers (13–3)14Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10–4)49thWinnipeg Blue Bombers
196216Winnipeg Blue Bombers (11–5)14Hamilton Tiger-Cats (9–4–1)50thWinnipeg Blue Bombers
196316BC Lions (12–4)14Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10–4)51stHamilton Tiger-Cats
196416BC Lions (11–2–3)14Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10–3–1)52ndBC Lions
196516Calgary Stampeders (12–4)14Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10–4)53rdHamilton Tiger-Cats
196616Saskatchewan Roughriders (9–6–1)14Ottawa Rough Riders (11–3)54thSaskatchewan Roughriders
196716Calgary Stampeders (12–4)14Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10–4)55thHamilton Tiger-Cats
196816Saskatchewan Roughriders (12–3–1)14Ottawa Rough Riders (9–3–2)56thOttawa Rough Riders
196916Saskatchewan Roughriders (13–3)14Ottawa Rough Riders (11–3)57thOttawa Rough Riders
197016Saskatchewan Roughriders (14–2)14Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8–5–1)58thMontreal Alouettes
197116Calgary Stampeders (9–6–1)14Toronto Argonauts (10–4)59thCalgary Stampeders
197216Winnipeg Blue Bombers (10–6)14Hamilton Tiger-Cats (11–3)60thHamilton Tiger-Cats
197316Edmonton Eskimos (9–5–2)14Ottawa Rough Riders (9–5)61stOttawa Rough Riders
197416Edmonton Eskimos (10–5–1)16Montreal Alouettes (9–5–2)62ndMontreal Alouettes
197516Edmonton Eskimos (12–4)16Ottawa Rough Riders (10–5–1)63rdEdmonton Eskimos
197616Saskatchewan Roughriders (11–5)16Ottawa Rough Riders (9–6–1)64thOttawa Rough Riders
197716Edmonton Eskimos (10–6)16Montreal Alouettes (11–5)65thMontreal Alouettes
197816Edmonton Eskimos (10–4–2)16Ottawa Rough Riders (11–5)66thEdmonton Eskimos
197916Edmonton Eskimos (12–2–2)16Montreal Alouettes (11–4–1)67thEdmonton Eskimos
198016Edmonton Eskimos (13–3)16Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8–7–1)68thEdmonton Eskimos
198116Edmonton Eskimos (14–1–1)16Hamilton Tiger-Cats (11–4–1)69thEdmonton Eskimos
198216Edmonton Eskimos (11–5)16Toronto Argonauts (9–6–1)70thEdmonton Eskimos
198316BC Lions (11–5)16Toronto Argonauts (12–4)71stToronto Argonauts
198416BC Lions (12–3–1)16Toronto Argonauts (9–6–1)72ndWinnipeg Blue Bombers
198516BC Lions (13–3)16Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8–8)73rdBC Lions
198618Edmonton Eskimos (13–4–1)18Toronto Argonauts (10–8)74thHamilton Tiger-Cats

Current era (1987–present)

Since 1987, the number of teams has changed several times, but the CFL has retained an 18 game schedule.[1] Since 2014, the CFL includes nine teams in the same cities as it had from 1958 to 1986.

SeasonTeamsWest top recordEast top recordGrey Cup No.Champion
19878BC Lions (12–6)Winnipeg Blue Bombers (12–6)75thEdmonton Eskimos
19888Edmonton Eskimos (11–7)Toronto Argonauts (14–4)76thWinnipeg Blue Bombers
19898Edmonton Eskimos (16–2)Hamilton Tiger-Cats (12–6)77thSaskatchewan Roughriders
19908Calgary Stampeders (11–6–1)Winnipeg Blue Bombers (12–6)78thWinnipeg Blue Bombers
19918Edmonton Eskimos (12–6)Toronto Argonauts (13–5)79thToronto Argonauts
19928Calgary Stampeders (13–5)Winnipeg Blue Bombers (11–7)80thCalgary Stampeders
19939Calgary Stampeders (15–3)Winnipeg Blue Bombers (14–4)81stEdmonton Eskimos
199412Calgary Stampeders (15–3)Winnipeg Blue Bombers (13–5)82ndBC Lions
SeasonTeamsNorth top recordSouth top recordGrey Cup No.Champion
199513Calgary Stampeders (15–3)Baltimore Stallions (15–3)83rdBaltimore Stallions
SeasonTeamsWest top recordEast top recordGrey Cup No.Champion
19969Calgary Stampeders (13–5)Toronto Argonauts (15–3)84thToronto Argonauts
19978Edmonton Eskimos (12–6)Toronto Argonauts (15–3)85thToronto Argonauts
19988Calgary Stampeders (12–6)Hamilton Tiger-Cats (12–5–1)86thCalgary Stampeders
19998BC Lions (13–5)Montreal Alouettes (12–6)87thHamilton Tiger-Cats
20008Calgary Stampeders (12–5–1)Montreal Alouettes (12–6)88thBC Lions
20018Edmonton Eskimos (9–9)Winnipeg Blue Bombers (14–4)89thCalgary Stampeders
20029Edmonton Eskimos (13–5)Montreal Alouettes (13–5)90thMontreal Alouettes
20039Edmonton Eskimos (13–5)Montreal Alouettes (13–5)91stEdmonton Eskimos
20049BC Lions (13–5)Montreal Alouettes (14–4)92ndToronto Argonauts
20059BC Lions (12–6)Toronto Argonauts (11–7)93rdEdmonton Eskimos
20068BC Lions (13–5)Montreal Alouettes (10–8)94thBC Lions
20078BC Lions (14–3–1)Toronto Argonauts (11–7)95thSaskatchewan Roughriders
20088Calgary Stampeders (13–5)Montreal Alouettes (11–7)96thCalgary Stampeders
20098Saskatchewan Roughriders (10–7–1)Montreal Alouettes (15–3)97thMontreal Alouettes
20108Calgary Stampeders (13–5)Montreal Alouettes (12–6)98thMontreal Alouettes
20118BC Lions (11–7)Winnipeg Blue Bombers (10–8)99thBC Lions
20128BC Lions (13–5)Montreal Alouettes (11–7)100thToronto Argonauts
20138Calgary Stampeders (14–4)Toronto Argonauts (11–7)101stSaskatchewan Roughriders
20149Calgary Stampeders (15–3)Hamilton Tiger-Cats (9–9)102ndCalgary Stampeders
20159Edmonton Eskimos (14–4)Ottawa Redblacks (12–6)103rdEdmonton Eskimos
20169Calgary Stampeders (15–2–1)Ottawa Redblacks (8–9–1)104thOttawa Redblacks
20179Calgary Stampeders (13–4–1)Toronto Argonauts (9–9)105thToronto Argonauts
20189Calgary Stampeders (13–5)Ottawa Redblacks (11–7)106thCalgary Stampeders
20199Saskatchewan Roughriders (13–5)Hamilton Tiger-Cats (15–3)107thWinnipeg Blue Bombers
20209Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
20219Winnipeg Blue Bombers (11–3)Hamilton Tiger-Cats (9–5)108thWinnipeg Blue Bombers
20229Winnipeg Blue Bombers (15–3)Toronto Argonauts (11–7)109th
20239Winnipeg Blue Bombers (14–4)Toronto Argonauts (16–2)110thMontreal Alouettes
20249111th
Notes

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2023 CFL Guide & Record Book . . November 20, 2023.