Photo courtesy: Thomas Skrlj/CFL.
If they had it their way, Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Corey Mace and Montreal Alouettes head coach Jason Maas would eliminate the CFL’s football operations cap.
The league is in a period of transition under new commissioner Stewart Johnston, who has been tasked with examining all aspects of how the CFL can innovate and improve. When asked what changes they’d potentially like to see to the league’s operations cap, both of this year’s Grey Cup coaches responded immediately and emphatically.
“Get rid of it!” said Mace on Tuesday, a response that drew a loud laugh from the assembled media at Princess Auto Stadium. Maas quickly seconded Mace’s statement, doing so before the laughter had even dissipated.
When asked to elaborate on their answers — perhaps offering other solutions than simply eliminating the cap — Mace politely declined, sticking with his original answer.
The league implemented a non-football spending cap following the 2018 season designed to limit and equalize spending across all nine teams. It has since been the subject of criticism as some have argued it inhibits teams from hiring and developing coaches and personnel people, leading to a more stagnant on-field product.
The cap not only limits how much teams can spend but also how many people they can employ, capping clubs at 11 coaches and 14 other football operations staff. Those subject to the cap are coaches, general managers, scouts, equipment staff, and video personnel. Team doctors and athletic therapists are not included.
The operations cap was originally set just below $2.6 million, though it was reduced amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It has since been raised, though it’s unclear by what amount. Teams that violate the cap are subject to a dollar-for-dollar fine for the first $100,000 they go over. For violations over $100,000, teams forfeit a draft pick(s) and are fined between $25,000 and $250,000.
Johnston is set to speak to the media on Friday in Winnipeg, at which point he’ll have the chance to address the comments from Mace and Maas and indicate how committed the CFL is to maintaining the cap amid its current transition.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (13-6) and Montreal Alouettes (12-8) will meet in the 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16 with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST.
The Alouettes defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final by a score of 19-16, while the Roughriders came back to defeat the B.C. Lions in the West Final by a score of 24-21. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, though Montreal franchise quarterback Davis Alexander missed both games due to a hamstring injury.
The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of two degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally.
This marks the fifth time the Grey Cup will be played in Winnipeg and the second time it will be hosted at Princess Auto Stadium. The venue’s first Grey Cup was held in 2015 when the Edmonton Football Team defeated the Ottawa Redblacks by a score of 26-20 and Michael Reilly was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
