Get Set For The CFL Labour Day Classics

By Chris Lawton

Finally. After the long wait comes the excitement of the 2026 CFL season kicking off this upcoming weekend. For CFL fans, the wait can seem like a long one. After all, it’s 5 and a half months since the 2025 Grey Cup game was played. From the moment the Saskatchewan Roughriders defeated the Montreal Alouettes and lifted the venerable old trophy, CFL stalwarts started asking, tongue in cheek, ‘Is it June yet?’ A rallying cry heard year on year as we await the next CFL season and all the excitement that will bring.

Since the 2026 schedule release, 3 Down fans have been counting down the days to a new season. It’s not a season or time that is without debate about the future and what it looks like for the CFL. But that’s not what this article is about. This is about celebrating the return of the league we love for CFL fans everywhere. Wherever in the world you are, whichever team you support, the draft is done, and the season is coming. This is a time for optimism and excitement.  

Preseason

This year, three CFL preseason games will be played in non-traditional markets as the Roughriders welcome the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to Saskatoon on May the 23rd. This will be the first time since 1991 that the Roughriders have brought a pre-season game to Saskatoon. Whilst on the same date, the BC Lions host the Edmonton Elks in Langford, BC. That marks the second year in a row that the team will travel to Vancouver Island before the start of the season proper. This will make this the fifth consecutive season that the Argonauts finish their preparations for the upcoming campaign at the University of Guelph.  Lastly, the Toronto Argonauts will play the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Guelph on the 29th of May.

Speaking of the Argonauts, due to the FIFA World Cup having games in their stadium, they will be playing some designated ‘home’ games in opposition stadiums during the first half of the season.

Kicking Things Off

Preseason kicks off with the reigning champ Roughriders travelling to their West Division rival, the Calgary Stampeders, on the 18th of May. Not a bad one to look at if you are in the UK and your interest is piqued, as it will be played at 8 PM UK time. The opening week of the regular season, meanwhile, will kick off at 12:30 AM UK time as the Alouettes travel to the Ticats in a rematch of last year’s East Final matchup. There are three games on in the opening week over the three days of the weekend, as this will be followed by the Stamps hosting the Blue Bombers and the Ottawa REDBLACKS kicking their season off with a home game against Edmonton.

The reigning Grey Cup champion Roughriders will open their title defence proper in Week 2 with a rematch of the 2025 Western Final against the visiting BC Lions. Whilst Week 3 offers the best timings for UK-based fans as the REDBLACKS host the Argos at 6 PM UK time, and that is followed by the Elks hosting the Als at 9 PM UK time, both on Saturday, the 20th of June. So, there are plenty of summer-based pro football options for gridiron fans thanks to the CFL!

As ever, there will be games to look out for dotted across the season calendar, like Labour Day Weekend, The Stampede Bowl, The Banjo Bowl, Thanksgiving and more.

If you are new, we’ve got you covered with how to watch, too. CFL+, the league’s own streaming service, will broadcast the entire 2026 regular season, the Grey Cup Playoffs and the 113th Grey Cup. For each of these games, there will be a 48-hour window of availability following the conclusion of the game. So, you can watch the games at a time that is reasonable for you. And, let’s face it, you can probably pretty easily avoid the results if you don’t check CFL-based sites. To get the streaming service, you just sign up with an email address, and access is free. For fans based in the UK, all regular season games, the playoffs and the Grey Cup will be accessible this way.. Sounds like the perfect time to dip your toes in the uncharted waters of 3-down football for newbies to me!

CHRIS LAWTON

CFL ANALYST

Chris originally started following the NFL with the ‘first wave’ of fans when it was shown on Channel 4 in the 1980’s. He has been a keen supporter of the Miami Dolphins since 1983. Chris first encountered the CFL in 2016 and instantly fell in love with the Canadian game. He has been writing about the CFL 2017. Chris has a degree in history, postgraduate degree in librarianship and can be found on twitter as @CFLfanUK

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