Ottawa’s new CFL team will not be called the Rough Riders or any variation of that.

But fans will play a big part in the naming of the team, with a contest expected to be launched soon. And the Ottawa Sun is getting an early start on that, giving you an opportunity to come up with a name here.

“We have to be looking at spring next year to have a name,” said Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group’s Jeff Hunt. “It’s not just a name, it’s a brand.”

It’s been made pretty clear by the league that the Rough Riders name will not be under consideration.

“Four years ago, there was a lot of discussion about that,” said CFL commissioner Mark Cohon. “There has been a lot of equity built up in the Roughriders name in Saskatchewan.”

“Any name that involved Riders met with fierce opposition from Saskatchewan,” said Hunt. “To me, a name that starts with an “R” has appeal, though. You could maintain some of that history and look.

“We’ve got to come up with a name that fans will get behind.”

Hunt says there will be consideration given to playing an annual game against the Roughriders, with Ottawa wearing Rough Riders jerseys.

tim.baines@sunmedia.ca

Twitter@TimCBaines