The dust has settled from the 2025 CFL season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders still basking in the glory of defeating the Montreal Alouettes back in November 2025. The Roughriders had been the best team through the regular season but were given a stern test by the BC Lions who threatened to pull off an almighty comeback in the divisional semi-finals. And it was the Roughriders who had to make up for an extremely slow start, falling 1-7 down in the first quarter, in the 112th Grey Cup to eventually win 25-17.
That draws the curtain on the 2025 season and as we ticked into a new year, the anticipation ahead of the upcoming 2026 season continued to grow. With several key storylines already emerging ahead of the 2026 season, expectations are beginning to form around which teams may be positioned to contend.
Alongside traditional previews and expert discussion, CFL futures betting odds offer another snapshot of how the league landscape is being viewed months before kickoff. With preseason only kicking off on 18th May with the first game week on 4th June, there is plenty of time for new stories to unfold. What can we expect in the coming months as the countdown to the 2026 season continues?
The record holding Grey Cup winners, the Toronto Argonauts (19), endured a terrible 2025 season by their lofty standards. A 5-13 record was capped off with five straight defeats to finish the season, meaning that the Argonauts missed the divisional semi-finals altogether. A dismal season spelled the end of head coach, Ryan Dinwiddie, who departed for the Ottawa Redblacks to replace Bob Dyce.
Dinwiddie steered the Argonauts to two Grey Cups (2022, 2024) but Dinwiddie’s departure was not performance based. In fact, it is reported that the Argos were not willing to grant Dinwiddie more control of the roster, something the Redblacks were willing to offer.
The legendary Argos head coach assumes the role of head coach and general manager and activated a clause in his contract permitting him to seek such a role to bring the curtain down on his successful spell in Toronto. Mike Miller, the Argos quarterback coach, has been tasked with rejuvenating the Argonauts after a season to forget.
What else is new?
With the free agency window officially opening on Tuesday 10th February, there is still a bit of time for teams to finalize their roster planning. Some signings have already been announced, such as Julian Howsare resigning for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Nyles Morgan relocating to Ottawa, but more activity is expected in the coming weeks.
One quirk that will affect the 2026 season is the upcoming FIFA World Cup, where Canada will play host to 13 matches. Vancouver and Toronto are set to welcome the soccer world to their cities which will have a knock-on effect on home games for the BC Lions and Toronto Argonauts. While the World Cup takes place, the Argonauts will play their home matches in the stadiums of opponents Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers, which could come at a distinct disadvantage.
The uniqueness of the World Cup matches taking place in Canada, as well as in Mexico, and the U.S, only disrupts a small portion of the 2026 CFL season, but could prove costly for the BC Lions and Toronto Argonauts should they eventually miss out on the latter stages and the 113th Grey Cup, which is set to take place on 15th November 2026 in Calgary.
