CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said that adding Halifax as an expansion market is "all contingent on a suitable stadium being built" in the Nova Scotian city, according to Dan Ralph of the CP. But Ambrosie "remains bullish on Halifax becoming the league's 10th franchise" and is "confident Halifax has the corporate support needed to help successfully operate a CFL franchise." The Halifax Regional Council on Tuesday voted to "direct municipal staff to complete a review of a business case for a 24,000-seat facility to be built at Shannon Park" that is being proposed by a group that includes former Coyotes co-Owners Anthony LeBlanc and Gary Drummond. The stadium "would reportedly cost" between C$170-190M, but it is "unclear if or how much public funding would be required for the project." Meanwhile, the expansion group "plans to begin a season-ticket campaign and name-the-team contest" on Nov. 7. Ambrosie "plans to have Leblanc meet" with CFL leaders once this month -- either at a "regularly scheduled board meeting Nov. 13 or during Grey Cup week in Edmonton." Ambrosie said that he "could have Leblanc front and centre when he makes his annual state of the league address Nov. 23" (CP, 11/1).
RISK ASSESSMENT: Halifax Chief Administrative Officer Jacques Dube said that the municipality is "not looking to take on construction risks or financial risks" and "does not want to own or maintain the stadium." In Halifax, Francis Campbell noted the municipality’s financial contribution "would come through tax incremental financing, a public financing plan used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure and debt financing" (THECHONICLEHERALD.ca, 11/1).
NEW COMPETITION: In Edmonton, Gerry Moddejonge notes the CFL offseason officially begins on Sunday and some teams will "come face to face with the elephant in the ... room," the Alliance of American Football. The ignition of the AAF, which is "poised to kick off in February, has already begun to let its effects be felt across the board" over the '18 CFL season. The Edmonton Eskimos have "lost 12 players off" their negotiation list "to the AAF so far." Eskimos GM Brock Sunderland said, “It’s been very challenging. There’s been multiple other free agents that we’ve been in conversations with. Players that, in years past, 99 to 100 per cent of the time you’d get.” Sunderland said the AAF is "offering a pretty good package, so it’s challenging and we’re not the only ones dealing with it" (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 11/2).
