History
The CFL has grown through several key expansion phases, including the absorption of earlier unions, the addition of new franchises, and the brief U.S. expansion era. This page lists only the changes to league membership: new teams, reactivations, and major structural shifts.
| Season | Team | Change | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | BC Lions (FM) Calgary Stampeders (FM) Edmonton Eskimos (FM) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (FM) Montreal Alouettes (FM) Ottawa Rough Riders (FM) Saskatchewan Roughriders (FM) Toronto Argonauts (FM) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (FM) |
Formation of the CFL | |
| 1982 | Montreal Alouettes | Folded | Franchise ceased operations before the season |
| 1986 | Montreal Concordes | Rebrand | Montreal Alouettes name restored |
| 1993 | Sacramento Gold Miners | Sacramento, USA | First U.S.-based CFL franchise. |
| 1994 | Baltimore CFLers / Stallions | Baltimore, USA | Only U.S. team to win the Grey Cup (1995). |
| Las Vegas Posse | Las Vegas, USA | Part of CFL’s U.S. expansion wave. | |
| Shreveport Pirates | Shreveport, USA | Short-lived U.S. expansion team. | |
| 1995 | Birmingham Barracudas | Birmingham, USA | Joined during peak U.S. expansion. |
| Memphis Mad Dogs | Memphis, USA | Played in restructured North/South CFL alignment. | |
| 1996 | Baltimore Stallions | Relocated | Moved to Montreal to become the new Alouettes |
| — | — | All U.S. teams folded or left; CFL returned to all-Canadian. | |
| 2002 | Ottawa Renegades | Expansion | Ottawa returns after Rough Riders folded in 1996 |
| 2014 | Ottawa Redblacks | Expansion | New franchise after Renegades folded in 2006 |
| 2021 | Edmonton Eskimos | Edmonton Elks | Rebrand following review |