2024 CFL season


The 2024 CFL season was the 70th season of modern professional Canadian football. Officially, it was the 66th season of the Canadian Football League. Vancouver hosted the 111th Grey Cup on November 17, 2024. The regular season started on June 6 and ended on October 26, with 18 games played per team over 21 weeks.

CFL news in 2024

Salary cap

According to the new collective bargaining agreement, the 2024 salary cap was at least $5,525,000 plus an unlimited non-football-related services with a minimum spend of $110,000 per club. With the unlimited marketing fund, most teams spent $12–14 million on football operations in 2023 with the majority of that on player costs. This was the first league year that players began to receive revenue sharing, which was set at 25% this season. The salary cap is announced in late April every year as well as fines/luxury tax from the previous season. On April 19, 2024, the league announced that Hamilton, Winnipeg and BC paid luxury tax for exceeding the cap in 2023, but not by more than $100,000, which would have resulted in the loss of draft selections. As was the case in 2023, the minimum player salary was set at $70,000.

Draft changes

Beginning this season, the two teams that had National players play the most snaps from the previous season received additional second-round draft picks in this year's draft.

Scheduling

During his commissioner's state of the league address on November 14, 2023, Randy Ambrosie confirmed that the 2024 schedule would return to a more balanced format instead of focusing on interdivisional match ups. In an 18-game schedule, western teams played 12 divisional and six interdivisional games and eastern teams played 10 divisional and eight interdivisional games in 2022 and 2023, but returned to playing at least two games with every opponent resulting in western teams playing 10 divisional and eight interdivisional games and eastern teams playing eight divisional and 10 interdivisional games. This was confirmed with the schedule release on December 14, 2023.

Touchdown Pacific

On November 29, 2023, the league announced that the BC Lions would be the host team for a neutral site game to be played at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria on August 31, 2024, against the Ottawa Redblacks.

Player movement

Free agency

The 2024 free agency period began on February 13 at noon EST. Pending free agents and teams were able to negotiate offers for one week starting Sunday, February 4, 2024, and ending Sunday, February 11, 2024. All formal offers to a player during this time were sent to both the league and the players union and could not be rescinded.

Trade deadline

The in-season trade deadline was on October 2 at 5 pm EDT.

Postseason

Playoff bracket



Attendance

Ranked from highest to lowest average home attendance.
No.TeamHome gamesTotal attendanceAverage attendance
1Winnipeg Blue Bombers9280,49131,165
2Saskatchewan Roughriders9249,16427,684
3BC Lions9241,94726,883
4Hamilton Tiger-Cats9198,01222,001
5Calgary Stampeders9193,86921,541
6Montreal Alouettes9191,71821,302
7Edmonton Elks9184,49420,499
8Ottawa Redblacks9169,32318,813
9Toronto Argonauts9136,16215,129

Broadcasting

The CFL continued to be broadcast on TSN and RDS across all platforms in Canada as part of their current contract. The broadcast rights were extended through 2025. In June, Bell Media announced that CTV would broadcast TSN-produced CFL coverage on digital terrestrial television, including a late-season package of exclusive 3 p.m. ET games beginning on September 7, continuing with playoff coverage of the East Division, and concluding with a simulcast of the 111th Grey Cup; returning the CFL to over-the-air television for the first time since 2007.
Broadcast rights for the CFL in the United States remained with CBS Sports Network following their acquisition of the rights during the 2023 season. CBSSN's package consisted mostly of Saturday and Sunday contests during June and July, a majority of August games, and the Labour Day and Thanksgiving Day Classics.
The league continued the use of its own streaming platform, CFL+, to stream the TSN broadcast to US audiences and international audiences at no cost. The CFL also expanded on its functionality, allowing video on demand replay for up to 48 hours after the game and used CFL+ to broadcast most of the preseason using in-stadium video feeds and local radio play-by-play commentary.

Award winners

CFL Honour Roll

MonthQuarterbackRunning backReceiverOffensive linemanDefensive linemanLinebackerDefensive backReturnerKicker/PunterSpecial teamsOffensive line
June
Vernon AdamsKa'Deem CareyAlexander HollinsIsiah CageJared BrinkmanJameer ThurmanNafees LyonDeVonte DedmonRené ParedesRolan MilliganToronto Argonauts
July
Vernon AdamsBrady OliveiraJustin McInnisLogan FerlandCasey SaylesWynton McManisMarc-Antoine DequoyKalil PimpletonLewis WardTyrice BeveretteMontreal Alouettes
August
Trevor HarrisBrady OliveiraTevin JonesMartez IveyRalph HolleyFrankie GriffinTyrell FordDeonta McMahonSergio CastilloDavid MackieEdmonton Elks
September
Trevor HarrisBrady OliveiraJevoni RobinsonMartez IveyCasey SaylesNick AndersonMarcus SaylesJames LetcherLirim HajrullahuTyrell RichardsHamilton Tiger-Cats
October
Chad KellyBrady OliveiraMakai PolkBrett BoykoShawn OakmanTony JonesLoucheiz PurifoyJames LetcherBrett LautherBrian Cole IIMontreal Alouettes

Pro Football Focus

AwardWinnerHonourable Mentions
Most Outstanding PlayerVernon Adams Cody Fajardo
Ka'Deem Carey
Trevor Harris
Most Outstanding RookieOntaria Wilson Ralph Holley
Charleston Rambo
Brendan Bordner
Shemar Bridges
Most Outstanding CanadianTyrell Ford Justin McInnis
Tyson Philpot
Brady Oliveira
Most Outstanding Defensive PlayerTyrell Ford Rolan Milligan
Casey Sayles
Malik Carney
Most Outstanding Offensive LinemanPier-Olivier Lestage Dejon Allen
Martez Ivey
Ryan Hunter
John Agro Special Teams AwardJanarion Grant René Paredes
Sergio Castillo
James Letcher Jr.
Annis Stukus Trophy Bob Dyce Jason Maas
Corey Mace

AwardWinnerHonourable Mentions
Most Outstanding PlayerBo Levi Mitchell Brady Oliveira
Tyrice Beverette
Rolan Milligan
Most Outstanding RookieOntaria Wilson Ralph Holley
Makai Polk
Shemar Bridges
Nick Anderson
Most Outstanding CanadianTyrell Ford Brady Oliveira
Justin McInnis
Kurleigh Gittens Jr.
Most Outstanding Defensive PlayerRolan Milligan Tyrice Beverette
Garry Peters
Tyrell Ford
Most Outstanding Offensive LinemanPier-Olivier Lestage Martez Ivey
Joshua Coker
Brandon Revenberg
John Agro Special Teams AwardJake Julien René Paredes
Sergio Castillo
Janarion Grant
Annis Stukus Trophy Corey Mace Jason Maas
Mike O'Shea

3DownNation

AwardWinnerRunner-ups
Most Outstanding PlayerVernon Adams Rolan Milligan
Justin McInnis
Most Outstanding Defensive PlayerRolan Milligan Tyrice Beverette
Adarius Pickett
Most Outstanding CanadianJustin McInnis Tyson Philpot
Tyrell Ford
Most Outstanding Offensive LinemanPier-Olivier Lestage Dejon Allen
Nick Callender
Most Outstanding RookieShemar Bridges Ontaria Wilson
Kalil Pimpleton
Most Outstanding Special Teams PlayerJanarion Grant Sean Whyte
René Paredes
Coach of the YearJason Maas Corey Mace
Bob Dyce

2024 All-CFL teams

2024 All-CFL team

Offence

Defence

Special teams

''Source''

2024 Western All-CFL team

Offence

Defence

Special teams

''Source''

2024 Eastern All-CFL team

Offence

Defence

Special teams

''Source''

2024 CFL awards