Recently there has been a lot of talk regarding a new CFL franchise in the Atlantic region with Halifax seemingly being given the go-ahead to have a franchise ahead of other candidates like Moncton, but why can’t a place like that have one too? I make this point as Halifax is in a different province than Moncton, with Halifax being in Nova Scotia while Moncton is in News Brunswick, thus there potentially being a market for both. If you live in Moncton you are probably unlikely to go and watch a game in Halifax and vice-versa. The obvious question when approaching a subject like this is whether or not there is a market for it. I believe that there is one, since if you look back at past Atlantic Touchdown games in Moncton one was a sell-out. Moncton has a population of approximately 70,000 which makes it the second largest city within the Maritime Province, putting them 78th in the most populous city list in Canada and a long way behind cities which currently host a team. This could prove a drawback, especially if you compare it to Halifax which seems likely to be the 10th franchise. It currently sits 14th and has a population of over 400,000, so the likelihood of a sell-out increases in that scenario. Moncton may have a low population compared to the other active CFL franchises, but I believe that this still makes them a viable candidate. Just look at Green Bay in the NFL for example who have just over 105,000 population which is slightly better than Moncton and, yet they have an average attendance of 78,092 (ESPN, 2017) for 2017, thus giving them the second highest average behind Dallas. In my view this outlines the potential a place like Moncton could have if they were awarded a team in addition to the Halifax franchise. If Moncton do get a team along with Halifax this would be a massive boost for the CFL as this would create a rivalry which could eventually blossom in the Atlantic region. Moncton also holds an advantage over other potential CFL sites as they already have a stadium meaning they would not have to spend time and money finding a suitable site, however they would be required to improve on their current stadium. For example, they would need to increase the capacity up to the required 25,000 by the CFL as well as undertaking renovation work in the surrounding area in order to improve infrastructure and the ease of access on matchdays. Below I’ve inserted some statistics why Moncton should be considered for a CFL franchise in the future. · In 2014, KMPG ranked Moncton as the lowest cost location for business in Canada (Moncton, 2016). · Moncton is known as the hub of the Maritimes with more than 1.3 million people living within a 2.5-hour drive (Moncton, 2016). · Moncton added more than 25,000 jobs to its workforce since 1990 (Moncton, 2016). The three statistics above show the following; 1) With Moncton being ranked as the lowest cost to setup a business it underlines that the city would be a perfect place to start a profit making CFL franchise, 2) With Moncton being the hub for the region there would be no better place to host a franchise should the league want one in the Atlantic region, 3) By creating a CFL franchise there would be potential job growth as shown in bullet point 3 with more than 25,000 jobs being created in 26 years. In conclusion, I believe Moncton would be a perfect candidate for a CFL franchise in the near future, considering the past success of the Atlantic Touchdown games as well as the future growth the city may continue to experience. Furthermore, 1.3 million people live within a few hours drive of Moncton, making it acceessible toa huge fan base. The city is also styling itself as an entertainment hub, so the addition of a CFL team could attract more fans in the 18-34 range as well as young families.
12 Comments
CFLfan
23/12/2017 06:08:17 pm
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Tom
23/12/2017 11:42:09 pm
Hi CFLFAN, thanks for your comment. I was using the Green Bay example to illustrate the point that you don't need a massive population in order to get bums on seats, rather than suggesting the CFL should expand there.
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CFLfan
24/12/2017 12:37:36 am
Sorry, I should have elaborated. My point about Green Bay was that it has been around since 1919 and the NFL or CFL would not expand to a place that small today (like Moncton).
CFLFAN
24/12/2017 01:45:35 am
One other statistic to keep in mind when comparing Moncton to Green Bay is that the population of Wisconsin is over 5 million. The population of New Brunswick is 750,000.
Tom
24/12/2017 06:13:06 pm
Thanks for your latest two comments, much appreciated. Yeah I understand your point and obviously that's the difficulty in the CFL in terms of areas lacking population and lack corporate sponsors too.
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CFLFAN
24/12/2017 08:01:37 pm
One more point about the stadium in Moncton. I would argue that Moncton’s stadium is actually more of a problem than an advantage.
Tom
24/12/2017 11:14:48 pm
Yeah I did hear from some that the stadium is more of a problem than a solution. Didn't realise the cost was 100 million, but part of the idea would be that Moncton share the stadium with the University like Winnipeg do (if I'm correct). Agree that Halifax could play some pre-season games there which could act as testing the market to see if demand is there.
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CFLFAN
25/12/2017 12:03:29 am
I think 10 is the magic number. Coast to Coast. The only other places that would make any sense is London and Quebec City. However Quebec City has embraced Laval university football and I can’t see anyone putting up millions of dollars for a CFL team there to compete against Laval (15,000 fans per game).
CFLFAN
25/12/2017 12:23:23 am
Yes, the university of Manitoba “shares / uses” Investors Field with the Blue Bombers....but keep this in mind....
Tom
26/12/2017 02:33:29 pm
Can't argue with your logic or knowledge and reading various opinions those two locations do seem the most likely. I agree too that the CFL won't just go to 11 if they do expand, so it would be either 10 or 12 (2 in a season).
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Evan
23/12/2017 07:16:37 pm
Respectfully (or not, whatever), this author doesn't what they are talking about. I live in Fredericton and I will drive to Halifax or Moncton for CFL games, but would much prefer Halifax because it is a larger city which can also entertain the rest of my family if they choose to not go to the game. Moncton might be styling itself as an entertainment centre, but it is not.
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Tom
24/12/2017 12:07:56 am
Hi Evan, appreciate your comments and no offence taken. Thanks for offering a different perspective too from someone who lives within the proximity.
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