With a lot of complex factors that go into the Canadian Football League (CFL) schedule including an odd number amount of teams, it seems like creating perfect schedule across the league is an impossible task.
But one person is who happy with the lookout of the 2023 regular season is Saskatchewan Roughriders President and C.E.O. Craig Reynolds.
Reynolds joined Michael Ball on Wednesday’s edition of the SportsCage, as he discussed the 2023 CFL schedule from the Roughriders perspective.
He feels that it’s important to release the schedule in the middle of December so that it allows fans some time to plan their schedule throughout the summer and gives them an idea of what the year will look like if they want to purchase season tickets.
One noticeable trend of the schedule next year in the CFL is the inclusion of Sunday evening games during the summer months. Many believed that this was done to appease American television networks, but Reynolds says that Sunday evening is the time most people spend their time watching television in the summer north of the border as well.
“People are busy in the day, the weather is beautiful, they are at the lake, they are at the cabin, usually by Sunday evening you’re settling in to get ready for your week and you turn on the tv and you turn on some sports. ”
The Roughriders had an unexpected game on Sunday in 2022 when their matchup against the Toronto Argonauts was pushed back a day in July following the team’s COVID outbreak. Reynolds said the team sold a lot of tickets to families for that Sunday game after it was postponed from it’s original Saturday date.
“As I always do I walked around the concourse before that game it was filled with families and they were having a great time and you know there was something to that.”
Next season, Saskatchewan will face each of their divisional opponents three times and will face the Toronto Argonauts and Ottawa REDBLACKs on two occasions. The Roughriders will visit Montreal in their only matchup of the season in August, while the green and white will not travel to Hamilton in 2022 (unless they advance to the 2023 Grey Cup) as the lone matchup between the Riders and Tiger-Cats will be at Mosaic Stadium in October. Reynolds says this is done with the league wanting to see more interdivisional matchups.
This past season, the Roughriders competed in five sets of back to back games, but in 2023, the only opponent they will see over two consecutive weeks are the Winnipeg Blue Bombers when they collide in the traditional Labour Day Classic and the ensuing rematch. The Roughriders President is happy to see a reduction of back to back matchups next season.
He is also pleased that the home games for Saskatchewan is more spread out this summer as opposed to 2022 when the green and white played at Mosaic Stadium four times in July.
“That’s a lot to ask from our fans every single weekend to be making the trip, especially for our out of towners. ”
Another feature of the schedule that Reynolds is the consistent kickoff times for the home games at Mosaic Stadium with all but one of the weekend home games kicking off at 5:00.
The Roughriders will open up the 2023 season on the road against the Edmonton Elk on Sunday June 11. They will square off with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for their home opener at Mosaic Stadium on Friday, June 16.
