25K in Edmonton on a Friday night?

[KCargosfan]

I love this league, but some of these attendance numbers are getting very concerning, especially from clubs that usually would draw 30K+.

Shudder to think what the Als are going to draw this year.

[OV Argo]

I love this league, but some of these attendance numbers are getting very concerning, especially from clubs that usually would draw 30K+.

Shudder to think what the Als are going to draw this year.

Agreed - very troubling. Never seen Commonwealth so empty ?

Argos will probably draw less than flies after today's $hit performance - hard to believe it could get worse than last year's empty seats galore fiasco season; but maybe the genius corporate owners have a big plan ? ;o)

[Argo57]

Agreed - very troubling. Never seen Commonwealth so empty ?

Argos will probably draw less than flies after today's $hit performance - hard to believe it could get worse than last year's empty seats galore fiasco season; but maybe the genius corporate owners have a big plan ? ;o)

Don’t worry OV, Ambrosie has the situation under control👍

[bannedforlife]

I had a big lecture typed out but figured I better delete it or I'll get kicked out. All I have to say is dwelling on this stuff is a self fulfilling prophecy and ask yourself does it help?

[KCargosfan]

I had a big lecture typed out but figured I better delete it or I'll get kicked out. All I have to say is dwelling on this stuff is a self fulfilling prophecy and ask yourself does it help?

Pointing out facts about attendance trends is somehow harmful? Should we just ignore troubling attendance trends that have been in motion for 8-9 years?

[R.J]

Don’t worry OV, Ambrosie has the situation under control👍
Ambrosie can't even walk and chew gum at the same time, but I agree, nothing to worry about - Ambrosie's on the case...

[R.J]

- Ottawa just had their lowest attended season opener.
- Hamilton has been announcing crowds for the last one and a half seasons (not including the 2019 home opener where rain was involved).
- BC, with all the Reilly hype, only managed 18k for their home opener.
- Calgary has been announcing crowds for awhile now.
- Montreal is going to be a disaster.
- Edmonton can't even get 27k regularly to Commonwealth anymore. (Avg over 35k 15 years ago)
- I’ve been saying since the announcements of their stadiums that Sask and Winnipeg went too big. 30k would’ve been good for the Riders, and 27k maximum for the Bombers. (Bombers have avg around 26k the last 20+ seasons.
- Ambrosie and Len Rhodes were/are pushing to move the season up to May LOL.

When is it time to worry ?

[CFLfan]

- Ottawa just had their lowest attended season opener.
- Hamilton has been announcing crowds for the last one and a half seasons (not including the 2019 home opener where rain was involved).
- BC, with all the Reilly hype, only managed 18k for their home opener.
- Calgary has been announcing crowds for awhile now.
- Montreal is going to be a disaster.
- Edmonton can't even get 27k regularly to Commonwealth anymore. (Avg over 35k 15 years ago)
- I’ve been saying since the announcements of their stadiums that Sask and Winnipeg went too big. 30k would’ve been good for the Riders, and 27k maximum for the Bombers. (Bombers have avg around 26k the last 20+ seasons.
- Ambrosie and Len Rhodes were/are pushing to move the season up to May LOL.

When is it time to worry ?

I wouldn't worry about Ottawa, we took a trip to Ottawa last week and went to the game on Thursday night, attendance 23,700 - 24k is a sell out. Looked like lots of empty seats but huge crowd on the patio close to Bank Street and they congregate under the video board on that end a huge crowd on the walkway between the upper deck and lower deck and another big crowd behind the other end zone. A young crowd too but a lot of fun.
A lot of Ottawa fans don't want to sit in there seats, they congregate in groups behind the end zones and the walkway close to the beer sales

BC is a worry, they brought in Reilly to sell tickets. They announced after he signed that they had the fastest rate of renewals for season ticket holders, but they didn't sell any more tickets. They were getting 18k crowds with Jennings and now looks like the same with Reilly

[KCargosfan]

I wouldn't worry about Ottawa, we took a trip to Ottawa last week and went to the game on Thursday night, attendance 23,700 - 24k is a sell out. Looked like lots of empty seats but huge crowd on the patio close to Bank Street and they congregate under the video board on that end a huge crowd on the walkway between the upper deck and lower deck and another big crowd behind the other end zone. A young crowd too but a lot of fun.
A lot of Ottawa fans don't want to sit in there seats, they congregate in groups behind the end zones and the walkway close to the beer sales

BC is a worry, they brought in Reilly to sell tickets. They announced after he signed that they had the fastest rate of renewals for season ticket holders, but they didn't sell any more tickets. They were getting 18k crowds with Jennings and now looks like the same with Reilly

I agree Ottawa isn't a concern now. But since they've returned the RBs have never been bad. What happens when they have a 5-13 season?

The biggest concerns are BC, Montreal and Toronto. But the dropping of attendance in Edmonton and Calgary is secondary. Especially Calgary, as it has been the best organization in the CFL for 5+ years and they are now struggling to get more than 26K fans when 7 years ago they were regularly drawing around 30K.

[ArgoRavi]

I agree Ottawa isn't a concern now. But since they've returned the RBs have never been bad. What happens when they have a 5-13 season?

The biggest concerns are BC, Montreal and Toronto. But the dropping of attendance in Edmonton and Calgary is secondary. Especially Calgary, as it has been the best organization in the CFL for 5+ years and they are now struggling to get more than 26K fans when 7 years ago they were regularly drawing around 30K.

I will throw one positive out there - Calgary drew 3k more to their home opener this year.

Here is another positive - we should hear no more about the CFL starting the season any earlier than this.

[KCargosfan]

I will throw one positive out there - Calgary drew 3k more to their home opener this year.

Here is another positive - we should hear no more about the CFL starting the season any earlier than this.

Truth.

[Foxhound]

They're starting the season earlier and earlier, and a June start is simply too early! The season should begin sometime after mid-July and the Grey Cup Game should be held the first weekend in December. Quite simply attendance is better in the fall than it is in the summer.

:(

[paulwoods13]

They're starting the season earlier and earlier, and a June start is simply too early! The season should begin sometime after mid-July and the Grey Cup Game should be held the first weekend in December. Quite simply attendance is better in the fall than it is in the summer.

:(

That certainly seems to be the case in the East, at least. But I agree with the premise -- football is a fall sport, not a spring sport. Hopefully Ambrosie has come to his senses on this now that Len Rhodes is not nattering away about the need to start in May.