The CFL’s expansion into the United States began in 1993 with the addition of the Sacramento Gold Miners and the San Antonio Texans. Financial difficulties quickly forced the Texans to fold, leaving the Gold Miners as the league’s only American franchise for the remainder of the season.

In 1994, the CFL expanded further by introducing the Las Vegas Posse, Shreveport Pirates, and the Baltimore CFL Colts, who were quickly renamed the Stallions due to a dispute with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. The Gold Miners and Posse competed in the West Division, while the Pirates and Stallions were placed in the East. That same year, the Stallions reached the Grey Cup but were narrowly defeated by the BC Lions by just three points.

In 1995, the Gold Miners relocated and became the San Antonio Texans. The Posse attempted to move to Jackson, Mississippi, with ownership planning a rebrand as the Miami Manatees. After a poorly received exhibition game, the relocation was abandoned. Instead, the CFL added the Birmingham Barracudas and Memphis Mad Dogs, prompting a new divisional alignment: Canadian teams in the Northern Division and American teams in the Southern Division. The season concluded with the Baltimore Stallions defeating the Calgary Stampeders 37–20 in the 83rd Grey Cup, becoming the first—and only—American team to win the championship.

Northern Division (Canadian teams)

• BC Lions
• Calgary Stampeders
• Edmonton Eskimos
• Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• Ottawa Rough Riders
• Saskatchewan Roughriders
• Toronto Argonauts
• Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Southern Division (American teams)

• Baltimore Stallions
• Birmingham Barracudas
• Memphis Mad Dogs
• San Antonio Texans
• Shreveport Pirates

By 1996, it had become clear that the CFL’s U.S. expansion was no longer sustainable. The Barracudas and Mad Dogs folded due to significant financial losses, and the Pirates’ ownership failed in an attempt to relocate the franchise to Norfolk, Virginia. Meanwhile, the arrival of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens threatened the Stallions’ fan base. Stallions ownership explored moves to Houston and Norfolk before ultimately relocating to Montreal, where the franchise was revived as the Alouettes. This marked the end of the CFL’s ambitious but short-lived expansion into the United States.

Former CFL Teams

TEAMS		SEASONS	STADIUM
	BALTIMORE STALLIONS	1994-1995	MEMORIAL STADIUM (BALTIMORE,MD)
	BIRMINGHAM BARRACUDAS	1995	LEGION FIELD (BIRMINGHAM,AL)
	LAS VEGAS POSSE	1994	SAM BOYD STADIUM (LAS VEGAS,NV,USA)
	MEMPHIS MAD DOGS	1995	LIBERTY STADIUM (MEMPHIS,TN)
	Ottawa Rough Riders	1876–1996	TD BANK STADIUM (OTTAWA,ON) (2014-)
	Ottawa Renegades	2002–2005
	SACRAMENTO GOLD MINERS	1993-1994	HORNET STADIUM (SACRAMENTO,CA,USA)
	SAN ANTONIO TEXANS	1993-1995	ALAMODOME (SAN ANTONIO,TX)
	SHREVEPORT PIRATES	1994-1995	INDEPENDENCE STADIUM (SHREVEPORT,LA)

Other Defunct CFL teams

Montreal Alouettes existed from 1946-1981, then changed to the Montreal Concordes (182-195), before rebranding as the Alouettes once again before folding after the 1987 CFL season. They would return in 1996.

Proposed CFL teams

Wikipedia Notes

[A] - An unknown investment group attempted an expansion bid and the CFL quoted a price of CA$2,700,000 for a team. It is unknown for what reasons this team never began play. This team would likely have been a continuation of the ORFU London Lords, which ultimately folded the same year.

[B] - Venture was abandoned due to a failed financing plan for a new stadium.

[C] - The San Antonio Texans (1) formed in 1993, but folded before playing a game. The San Antonio Texans (2) were the former Sacramento Gold Miners, who relocated to San Antonio in 1995.

[D] - While numerous locations (including Milwaukee and Los Angeles) had been discussed as a home for a potential relocation of the Las Vegas Posse, Jackson, Mississippi, came the closest to fruition: it had hired a coach and general manager and was included on early drafts of the 1995 schedule before the corporation that owned the Posse raised the price unexpectedly to more than could be justified just as the new owner was about to buy the team.

[E] - After exploring multiple cities to relocate the Las Vegas Posse, Miami was chosen. However, the league suspended all US operations before the team could ever take the field. Both the Mississippi and the Miami teams were to use the franchise of the Las Vegas Posse. Mississippi was included on the 1995 draft schedule, but disagreements with the Posse's ownership led to the sale falling through. The Miami ownership group would have put the franchise back onto the field in 1996, but the league withdrew from the United States prior to the 1996 season.

[F] - After most US CFL franchises folded, the Baltimore Stallions considered relocating to Houston; league pressure led Stallions ownership to reactivate the then-dormant Montreal Alouettes instead.

[G] - After two seasons in Shreveport, posting an 8–28 record, Shreveport Pirates owner Lonie Glieberman intended to relocate the team to Virginia. There, he agreed to rename them the Hampton Roads Pirates or Norfolk Pirates if the city paid $400,000 for stadium renovations. Local politicians declined Glieberman's request upon learning that he had lawsuits pending in Louisiana.

[H] - Investment group Ark-LA-Tex Football Association had prepared to purchase the Birmingham Barracudas for $750,000 and relocate them to Shreveport, replacing the former Pirates; however, the CFL cancelled its US expansion before the relocation could take place.

[I] - As the Las Vegas Posse looked for a place to relocate the floundering franchise, Milwaukee, backed by real estate developer Marvin Fishman and original owner of the Milwaukee Bucks looked to bring a CFL team to the city. The bid saw then CFL Commissioner Larry Smith giving a press conference at Milwaukee County Stadium, but the proposal fell through when the CFL suspended its US operations.

[J] - As the Ottawa Renegades' financial woes became apparent, a business group from Quebec City emerged attempting to relocate the team to their city. The venture was ultimately abandoned and the franchise was suspended by the league and later sold to Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group.

[K] - Committed to by the league in 2021. In 2023 Schooners Sports and Entertainment abandoned its involvement in pursuing a team for Atlantic Canada.