Article content continued

It’s certainly not a slam dunk. Moving the season up would also mean football games would go head-to-head with the National Hockey League playoffs. And would TSN, the CFL’s Canadian broadcaster partner, want to have its football programming going up against the NHL juggernaut?

“There are a lot of considerations,” said Hunt. “We have commitments to TSN, they’re a major partner. They would have to be supportive. They have their own things that they have to consider. There are lots of moving parts to moving the season. It’s an active discussion. The consideration you have to have is do you want to go into competing with the NHL in the height of their playoffs?

“It may be an evolution rather than a revolution. Maybe we sort of slowly, over time, move it up by a week here and a week there. Or it could be an all-in-one thing where we just move it up by a month, let’s say. There’s a lot of healthy discussion about it.”

Hunt said there hasn’t been a lot of resistance to the idea, but the CFL’s nine teams want to tread carefully.

“I would be supportive of going earlier,” said Hunt. “Most teams are open to it. Some teams are extremely supportive of it. Other teams are like, ‘Let’s look at all the elements and see where we come out.’ I haven’t heard any strenuous opposition to it. I think everybody realizes some of the significant benefits. But like every significant decision you make, you weigh the pros and the cons. If the pros win out, that’s the direction you go, and if the cons win out, then maybe you don’t go.