Player lists opened to all for the first time
TORONTO – The nine teams of the Canadian Football League (CFL) have made their Negotiation Lists fully public for the first time. Teams were previously required to disclose only ten players on each of their lists, on two occasions during the season – in September and December. The lists will be updated every 24 hours.
In accordance with CFL by-laws, each team maintains a Negotiation List of up to 45 players who are currently playing in other leagues, in college or unsigned. Teams hold exclusive negotiating rights with players on their lists, and they can be added, traded or removed at any time.
The Negotiation List process was developed in the early 1950s; it served as a key component of the 1958 merger of the founding leagues that are now known as the CFL’s East and West Divisions.
“We are focused on giving fans and media more opportunities to connect with our product in entertaining and meaningful ways,” said CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnston. “By making the full Negotiation Lists public, fans now have visibility into who their favourite team’s next star could be, sparking discussion and debate, and providing insight into how CFL rosters are built.”
Negotiation Lists have served as the passageway to the CFL for many of the league’s legendary names, including Milt Stegall, Chad Owens and Geroy Simon, as well as players whose legacies were built on both sides of the border, like Cameron Wake, Ricky Williams, Chad Johnson and Jeff Garcia. The league’s current stars and headliners like Zach Collaros, Bo Levi Mitchell, Rolan Milligan Jr. and more, have found a home in the CFL after time spent on teams’ lists.
Past Negotiation List activity involving popular players or enticing prospects has generated intrigue and spurred on dialogue. The shift towards greater transparency provides fans with a glimpse into the inner workings of the teams.
The complete CFL Negotiation Lists are available here.
