CFL (Non-Bombers) off-season news

[Blue In BC]

If the alternative is your best players leaving, then it does make your roster better than that alternative.

The SMS cap has no bearing really. If the cap had not gone up, how much do top salaries go up? If the cap had gone up double what it did then do those top players get even more?

If Rourke was a potential free agent does his SMS hit go up to $800K because of the SMS number and the competition to acquire him?

IMO the increase neither keeps a player from leaving or helps keep him. It's just the free market with a given SMS.

[Blue In BC]

With the ratio ensuring that the set number of Nat's and Americans is a given, should there be caps within the caps?  Should the $SMS be broken into 2 caps? One for Nats and one for Americans?

If they did it that way, teams would still pay a disproportionate amount to Nats, but that would be capped.  Bring down the top end of Nat salaries a bit...

Interesting but I'd think the CFLPA would not be in favour of that. Some Canadians are better than some imports and limiting a contract amount based on nationality would be unfair.

That argument was raised about lower Global salaries last year in discussions.

This really falls on team management / owners that will look to " buy " a top talent with contracts in excess of logic.

In the past before SMS we had rich teams paying some players $1M usd because they had no limits.

[TBURGESS]

How much did the cap go up this year? Can you point me to doc? Thanks.

[Blue In BC]

How much did the cap go up this year? Can you point me to doc? Thanks.

In theory it went up in 2025 by about $400K and that would be carried over as part of the 2026 SMS. I'm not aware of an additional increase above that from last year, but it's possible. IIRC there was a built in increase in each season in the CFLPA agreement.

The large increase last year was due to increased revenue which a separate increase.

There was never any clarity from the league  and the 2025 increase was announced late ( after free agency ) so teams had no where to spend it per se.

[ModAdmin]

How much did the cap go up this year? Can you point me to doc? Thanks.

Up by $412,365
https://cflpa.com/cflpa-shares-historic-salary-cap-increase-for-2025-season

[Blue In BC]

Here is what 2026 looks like for the SMS.

The CFL's salary cap for the 2026 season is set to increase due to the league's revenue-sharing model from the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), with the base cap expected around
$6.16 million and the total expenditure cap over $6.27 million, driven by 2025 revenue growth, keeping the minimum salary at $70,000 for now but signaling a healthier financial environment.

Key Details for 2026

EDIT: Here is the 2025 cap info again.  If I understand all this there is an additional new increase of about $54K?

That's the difference between the $6.06M and $6.16M. 2025 versus 2026 SMS.

The CFL Salary Management System for 2025
centers on a $6,062,365 salary cap, up significantly due to league revenue growth via the CBA's revenue-sharing model, with rules including spending thresholds, penalties for exceeding the cap (monetary and draft picks), and non-salary bonuses like housing/marketing, all managed under the framework of the 2022 CBA and ongoing discussions with the CFLPA.

Key Components of the 2025 System:

[TBURGESS]

I knew about the 2025 increase, looks like the 2026 is just $54K. Thanks folks.

[Jesse]

Here is what 2026 looks like for the SMS.

The CFL's salary cap for the 2026 season is set to increase due to the league's revenue-sharing model from the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), with the base cap expected around
$6.16 million and the total expenditure cap over $6.27 million, driven by 2025 revenue growth, keeping the minimum salary at $70,000 for now but signaling a healthier financial environment.

Key Details for 2026

EDIT: Here is the 2025 cap info again.  If I understand all this there is an additional new increase of about $54K?

That's the difference between the $6.06M and $6.16M. 2025 versus 2026 SMS.

The CFL Salary Management System for 2025
centers on a $6,062,365 salary cap, up significantly due to league revenue growth via the CBA's revenue-sharing model, with rules including spending thresholds, penalties for exceeding the cap (monetary and draft picks), and non-salary bonuses like housing/marketing, all managed under the framework of the 2022 CBA and ongoing discussions with the CFLPA.

Key Components of the 2025 System:

Has this been mentioned anywhere other than Google AI?

I expect a cap increase, but I haven't heard of one yet.

[gobombersgo]

Has this been mentioned anywhere other than Google AI?

I expect a cap increase, but I haven't heard of one yet.

Only thing I read was the CFLPA will be inforcing the Jan 15th deadline to receive financial documents from the league.

We will hear about any SMS increase after the PA reviews the financials.

[Blue In BC]

Has this been mentioned anywhere other than Google AI?

I expect a cap increase, but I haven't heard of one yet.

That's all I've heard. There is an annual increase as part of the CFLPA agreement that was usually in the $55K. Each increase is carried forward since it's and increase and not a one time payment.

The revenue sharing that we had for 2025 was a subset done as a calculation and the 1st time we've had that happen.

So yes, there could be another created in 2026 due to revenue sharing although I think that isn't not a calculation done every season.

However reading the post above mine, the league has to inform the teams by January 15th to confirm any new increase. That would mean something related to revenue sharing.

If there is another large increase based on that, I hope they have a better plan.

My position was to add additional players to the roster.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Only thing I read was the CFLPA will be inforcing the Jan 15th deadline to receive financial documents from the league.

We will hear about any SMS increase after the PA reviews the financials.

Watched an interview with Brett Lauther in the summer, he is the CFLPA rep for the Riders, he mentioned the CFL has not been upfront or forthcoming in releasing financial information or money to the PA.  It appears the league is taking a hostile approach to a cooperative effort. Cue the appointment of Stewart Johnston as a soulless sycophant of greed.

[Tecno]

IMO the increase neither keeps a player from leaving or helps keep him. It's just the free market with a given SMS.

Every increase in SMS does allow us to keep more players.  Rourke even hinted it himself: top-3 starting CFL QB salary is now enough to compete with perennial-PR job (maybe with a couple of dresses -- see: Strev) in the NFL.  Unless a QB has a strong chance of starting (or dressing for years as bonafide #2), they'll look long and hard at earning $800k total in the CFL.

Every $10 or $40k+ extra a mid/high-range player gets may dissuade them from retirement for a year.

Take the example to the extreme: what if the CFL SMS was the same as the NFL?  Then we'd lose no players at all, and players would play until they are bad or injured.

[Tecno]

With the ratio ensuring that the set number of Nat's and Americans is a given, should there be caps within the caps?  Should the $SMS be broken into 2 caps? One for Nats and one for Americans?

I say no, because part of the fun of the CFL is to see how the GMs work the SMS and the ratio.  It's the flexibility that makes things interesting.  It allows 2025 SSK to have that crazy cheap mega-NAT O setup and win the cup.  They got creative and did a Moneyball and hit the jackpot.  Couldn't do that if the NAT/IMP caps were separately set in stone.

It's like F1: before caps or engine freezes or decreasing the aero modification zone sizes things were a lot more interesting inter-team because there were a lot more variables for teams to play with.  That allows people to get really creative.  Like the 4-front-wheeled 80's constructor.

If they did it that way, teams would still pay a disproportionate amount to Nats, but that would be capped.  Bring down the top end of Nat salaries a bit...

Not necessarily.  It could just as easily result in the top NATs making even more, and teams filling the NAT cap with ELCs.  That would effectively end the career of the middling NATs.  And the product would suffer IMHO.

[Tecno]

KSB is a risky proposition, he's great at YAC and a big target but does not resemble a great route runner to me, he also spends too much time on the IR each season due to his refusal to go down when hit, in 5 seasons he's only played 57 games.

KSB was hot garbage after his injury in '25.  And, a bit like McInnis, D's are starting to figure out their limited route options, and cut off their short game / hot outlet role.

KSB barely saw the field in '25.  Not sure he'll realize any dreams of big FA this time 'round.  He should sign on a 1 year to prove himself again.

That said, if he was super cheap I'd take him as the bruiser middle short game guy that we desperately need.  But I'm pretty sure we don't need the ratio help, so it's probably not worth the $ vs an IMP.

[Blue In BC]

Every increase in SMS does allow us to keep more players.  Rourke even hinted it himself: top-3 starting CFL QB salary is now enough to compete with perennial-PR job (maybe with a couple of dresses -- see: Strev) in the NFL.  Unless a QB has a strong chance of starting (or dressing for years as bonafide #2), they'll look long and hard at earning $800k total in the CFL.

Every $10 or $40k+ extra a mid/high-range player gets may dissuade them from retirement for a year.

Take the example to the extreme: what if the CFL SMS was the same as the NFL?  Then we'd lose no players at all, and players would play until they are bad or injured.

Spending before and after SMS limits always saw players come and go. We'll see that this year as well. A player's salary at a fixed point in time is no different than us non professional sports people. At some point we decide its time to retire. More money is not always the driving force.

Rourke suggesting higher SMS might make a player like him not consider an NFL PR for example. I call BS. The NFL salaries go up every season as well. A roster spot on any AR pays more than the very top of CFL salaries. Add in the dream of the NFL which is not just money but playing the game you played in college and playing in your home country.

Rourke is only in the CFL because NFL teams choose to not add him to a roster.

I think you're grasping for straws.